SALEM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — It is the City of Salem's way of saying thank you to local veterans and service members.
Effective immediately, anyone with a Veteran license plate issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles may park for free at any on- or off-street metered City space, as well as any off-street City parking lot with a kiosk or app-payment within Salem.
"It’s a way of demonstrating our gratitude to our veterans and service members for all they’ve done for our country and our community," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo told WBZ NewsRadio Friday. "We feel like it’s an important gesture. It’s not a major one, but it’s something we can do to demonstrate our gratitude to them."
Pangallo and the Salem City Council approved the policy suggested by Salem's Veterans Agent. It is believed to be the first of its kind in Massachusetts.
"This is I think another important gesture that we can use to demonstrate that we’re a community that values, respects, and is grateful to our veterans and all our service members," Pangallo said.
The policy does not include parking garage fees. All non-parking fee regulations such as time limits, no parking restrictions, and resident parking rules remain in effect.
A list of eligible Veterans license plates can be found here.
WBZ's Kendall Buhl reports.
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