Parkland officials are toying with the idea of giving residents an option to pay more to get extra services.

It was Mayor Michael Udine who suggested, at a recent strategic planning session, that the city do so. “I have had people say to me that they are willing to pay more for more services. I know there are people who will pay more for convenience. Let’s allow them to do that,” he said.

Commissioner Dave Rosenof thought the idea had merit. “There are cities that charge more for providing extra services. We should think of raising more money by offering VIP-level service. This option should only apply to add-on services, not core services,” he said.

Besides discussing the “pay more fund,” city officials also talked about successes of the current year and mulled over challenges before the city in the coming year.

The coming year will see budget cuts in every department, Udine said. “It will be a difficult budget year," he said. "Anyone who does not understand this is no longer living in reality. Some things may need to be put off. Governments right now are easy targets. There is a tremendous amount of resentment among citizens, and not just in Parkland.”