Some of the people who use Butler's tier parking garage wonder why there isn't a change machine or machines for the quarters-only meters.

It's particularly frustrating for people unfamiliar with the city and garage who, upon entering the tier facility, learn that they risk getting a parking ticket until they can locate someone willing to make change, specifically quarters. Otherwise, they have to go looking for a parking space elsewhere.

Many of the people who find themselves in the no-quarters predicament are in the city for business connected with the courthouse, since Butler is the seat of county government.

Installation of change machines in the tier garage is an issue that the Butler Parking Authority should consider as a reasonable convenience for facility users. Meanwhile, the county government has its own parking issues — the main issue being why it provides free parking to so many officials and employees — more than 100 — who ought to pay to park their vehicles on county property.

County-owned parking spaces were paid for by the taxpayers for perceived need, not for the purpose of being a fringe benefit to county employees. And, even though putting a price tag on parking in county-owned spaces wouldn't provide significant money for county government, every little bit helps.

Under the city code, every new office building must have one parking spot for every 300 square feet. But in regard to the new county prison, that requirement has worked to the detriment of the city, since providing the required spaces took some land off tax rolls and then enabled some staff members to park for free when, in the past, they had paid to park either in the tier garage or elsewhere.

Now the county and city are facing additional parking issues tied to the county's possible construction of additional office space on the site of the former county prison on Vogely Street.

One of the important questions involving the new building would be who would use those spaces, since there already is excess county prison-related space next to the new lockup. And, it's important to note that free parking is not necessary for family members of the inmates who already are costing county taxpayers money.

It's reasonable to ask why county officials past and present have allowed the free-parking situation to get so out of hand — regardless of what is being done in other counties.

Although in the past there were fewer county-owned spaces than now exist, that didn't excuse the longtime failure to admit that the freebie is not justified.

Most people working in the business district pay to park, if they choose not to walk significant distances from unmetered streets. With few exceptions, county officials and employees should be no different.

Regarding the county parking spaces that currently exist, there would be nothing wrong with assigning them to a specific employee or employees — that should not come without a price tag for those spaces, except where a person's job requires driving trips during the day.

Meanwhile, the city should explore whether it would be entitled to any revenue generated by any new parking necessary as a result of new county construction.

It appears that the city was shortsighted regarding prison-related parking. That shortsightedness need not exist in the future.

And, as the county stops giving away a convenience worth something to officials and employees, the parking authority should provide tier garage users a change machine.

Neither the county nor the city is going to get rich through parking revenue. But why should so many county employees park for free when so many other workers in the city pay to park?