A city official says the Alexandria City Council has passed a motion Tuesday night to temporarily reduce the current parking meter rates in the Old Town business area from $1.75 per hour to $1.25 per hour until new multi-space parking meters are installed.

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The official says the $1.25 meter rates will remain in effect on Saturdays and throughout the holiday season but parking meter rates in the Carlyle area will remain at $1.75 per hour.

The motion must undergo a formal legislative process that includes a public hearing, according to the official. Final action is expected on Saturday, Nov. 13 after a public hearing.

ORIGINAL: A decision to drive up revenue in the city of Alexandria may be driving away business. Old Town merchants say a summer rate hike to parking meters added to the retail slump. Now, they are pleading with the city to make some adjustments.

Business is down even more this year than last year and some merchants are blaming change. This summer, the city raised parking meter rates by 75 percent. The rate increased from a $1 an hour to a $1.75 -- an increase that will net the city $1.2 million over a year. But retailers say credit card meters were supposed to be installed with the rate hikes but now they won't go in until April.

Nancy Pollard who owns a kitchen store in Alexandria said, "There isn't a ...person...that comes down here that has two pounds of quarters on them."

The merchants have started a petition to roll back the rates until the smart meters are installed.

"We can't blame it all on parking. I think there's other things that are happening too but...it's definitely something that has hurt us," said Elizabeth Todd, who owns a shoe store.

Business isn't bad across the board -- hotels and restaurants are doing well.

"The tourists may be coming here and eating and using our local hotels, but not spending much at retail stores," explained Alexandria Chief Financial Officer Bruce Johnson.

Johnson says it's hard to know what's caused by the meters and what's just a bad economy, but that the city hears the merchant's cries.

Tuesday night, the city council is considering rolling back the meter rates until the new credit card system is installed.