TRI In The News

Charlottesville Permit Fee Process Raises Questions

From NBC29

Original article available here

If you want to stage a protest in Charlottesville, be prepared to pay hundreds of dollars.  That was the case with a demonstration earlier Friday, but it's not true for everyone. Now, the city is responding to allegations they selectively enforce the rules.

The Jefferson Area Tea Party calls it discrimination. And the Rutherford Institute says the city needs to clarify its permit policies.    

Now the city says they're looking into the issue. Members of a conservative group called Stand Up for Religious Freedom protested in Jackson Park on Friday against a number of federal health policies proposed by the Obama administration, but they had to pay about $600 in fees, deposits, and insurance to do it.  Recent protests by the tea party and occupy Charlottesville in the same location happened free of charge. 

John Whitehead with the Rutherford Institute said, "What the city should do is articulate really clear written standards.  They should be given to the clerks, the people issuing the permits."

Friday, the city is responded with a statement. "We are currently looking into our policies to determine the best way to separate rallies and demonstrations from true events such as festivals and markets (and fees associated with these events)."

City spokesperson Joe Rice also says they'll need to coordinate with the city attorney's office so controversies like this don't happen again.