The San Diego City Council will consider raising parking meter rates up to $2.50 per hour and increase the hours until 11 p.m. and include Sundays following a 3-2 vote by a Council committee.

The full Council will hear the proposal in late October or in November. The Budget & Finance Committee voted 3-2 on Oct. 7 to forward it to the Council without specifying a recommendation. Dissenting were Councilmembers Carl DeMaio and Marti Emerald.

“This is nothing more than a money grab,” said DeMaio, who represents the Fifth District. “What’s next? Do we put up a parking meter in everyone’s front yard?”

Councilmember Kevin Faulconer, who voted for it along with councilmembers Todd Gloria and Tony Young, said the proposal could also lead to lowering parking meter rates in areas of the city where they are not used very much.

A city report claims revenue would increase by $8.6 million over the next three years if it is passed by the City Council. The report also said that solar powered parking meters is in the near future and meters would also take prepaid cards, debit and credit cards, eventually leaving coin operated meters a thing of the past.

The proposal would start parking meter time one hour earlier, at

7 a.m., and keep them operating until 11 p.m. The city would have to hire or transfer workers to enforce parking meter times as current parking officers do not work past 6 p.m. Having parking meters enforced on Sundays is also an option.

The city’s goal is 85 percent utilization of all meters, and the current use of all parking meters is 38%. A city report says 72 percent of all meter revenue comes from downtown. The current maximum meter rate is $1.25 an hour. It was raised to that amount in 2004.