MCALLEN – McAllen Code Enforcement officers are citing cars that are violating city parking rules that could be putting other people’s safety at risk.

Residents around the city are used to parking on lawns or on sidewalks.

Barbara Salinas, a McAllen resident, said she’s done it a time or two when she’s in a pinch. “Yeah, sometimes you just have to find parking wherever it’s available,” she said.

She said she understands where the city is coming from though.

“There must be a safety issue but again, no one wants to pay the $500,” she said.

“We have a lot of children during school days, walking through and what we want to avoid is an accident,” Aaron Salazar, the interim director for McAllen Health and Code Enforcement, said.

The city is focusing on a few types of violations, like people parking on and directly blocking a sidewalk.

Officials said even when it’s a resident’s vehicle and it’s parked on their property, it is still eligible for a citation.

“This is your lawn and designated for the grass and the plants, so by putting a vehicle that drops oil and liquids into the ground, it’s going to damage your lawn right away. Other than that, there’s an ordinance in place for it. We like to stay McAllen, stay beautiful the way it is,” Salazar said.

Salinas wants pedestrians to be safe, but she thinks the city should loosen up.

“Maybe just for the school people during school hours, maybe we shouldn’t park here and then whenever there’s no kids around, maybe at night,” she said.

McAllen isn’t the only city with a parking ordinance. According to Municode.com, Pharr has a similar ordinance about not obstructing the streets and sidewalks.

If someone gets a warning, they’ll have 48 to 72 hours to move their car. If that doesn’t happen, the city may take the person to municipal court where a judge will deice if they’ll pay the $500.

Find Parking Ordinance Code:

Visit Municode.

Click on “Library” then find “Texas” and type in your city.