A full day at Fred Howard Park will cost Palm Harbor families twice as much starting Dec. 1.

Pinellas County announced Sept. 29 that beach parking at Fred Howard, Fort De Soto and Sand Key parks will shift from a flat $6 daily rate to $3.50 an hour. The hourly charge is capped at $12 a day plus tax. The change is part of the county's fiscal 2027 budget, which commissioners approved in late September, according to WFLA.

Short visits will cost less under the new structure. A beachgoer who stays under two hours would pay less than the old $6 flat rate. But anyone spending a full day hits the $12 cap.

Boat-ramp parking will also be $12 a day.

Annual pass prices climb for most residents

Annual pass prices went up Oct. 1. The full-price annual beach pass rose from $75 to $95. The limited-income beach pass rose from $37 to $55, a 49% increase.

Senior passes, which now cover both beach and boat areas, rose from $55 to $70. A separate senior beach pass is no longer sold, according to the county's parks page. Passes for disabled U.S. veterans remain free.

Higher fees aim to ease county budget shortfall

The increases are expected to generate nearly $2.8 million in additional annual revenue, according to Fox 13 reporting on the August budget discussions. County Administrator Barry Burton told commissioners during those discussions that parking fees had not been substantially adjusted in more than 20 years.

"We hadn't adjusted the rates in about 20 years," Commissioner Brian Scott said during an Aug. 24 budget hearing reported by Fox 13. "We're really long overdue, and we're quite honestly trying to solve some budget shortfalls."

The county faces a general fund deficit of more than $30 million, driven in part by state-imposed pension contribution increases for law enforcement, according to WUSF reporting. Commissioners framed the parking fee hikes as one way to lower the property tax rate for the fifth time in six years, according to a county news release.

The county sells only about 1,100 annual parking and boat-ramp passes across the three parks. Burton said during the August discussions that the county wanted to encourage more residents to buy annual passes.

Commissioner Vince Nowicki called the parks "some of the most cherished assets in the county" during the August hearings and said they should remain accessible.

The new hourly parking rates take effect Dec. 1. Annual passes are available at the county's parks page.