Parking tickets will go up by $12.50 in 2011 following a 7-1 decision by the City Council on Nov. 29 to pass along state-mandated surcharges. The cost includes a $9.50 surcharge the city had unknowingly been absorbing instead of passing it on to motorists as in other cities. Councilman Tony Young said the move could save the city $3 million annually. There were no speakers for or against the proposal, and it passed quickly. The state recently notified the city of a new $3 surcharge — on top of the other $9.50 it is imposing on all parking tickets —which will go to fund state trial court buildings. Members of the council’s Budget and Finance Committee were told Nov. 10 that staff had researched 16 years’ worth of City Council resolutions, but they could not find an ordinance allowing the city to collect the previous $9.50 surcharge from violaters, much less the additional $3 surcharge. Councilwoman Marti Emerald made the motion for the surcharges to be passed along to motorists, while Councilman Carl DeMaio voted against the plan without giving a reason. “I applaud the staff for catching this,” said District 3 Councilman Todd Gloria. There are more than 100 types of parking violations that police officers or meter maids can write tickets for.