RUMFORD – Selectmen overwhelmingly voted Thursday night to boost parking ticket fines from $4 to $10.

The increase, the first in many years, is meant to be a deterrent to people who park in the downtown area for more than the designated two hours, or in the red-marked spaces which allow 15-minute parking.

Selectman Jim Rinaldo was the lone dissenter of the boost. He also doesn’t believe the Police Department should be ticketing cars that overstay the designated time limits.

“Businesses are parking in the spots, not customers,” he said. “Business owners and employees can park in the Agway lot or the Legion lot.”

However, board Chairman Jim Thibodeau said enforcement of the parking limits was supported by people attending the annual June town meeting.

The Police Department is in the process of hiring one or more part-time officers who will monitor parking time in the downtown area. Hopes are that better enforcement and the subsequent parking ticket fees will help pay the salaries of the new positions. The monitor position is for one year.

Thibodeau and Rinaldo both expressed concerns that a more stringent enforcement of parking will drive people out of the downtown business area.

But Selectman Jolene Lovejoy said potential customers are driving right through the downtown instead of stopping because they can’t find a place to park.

The board also agreed to donate up to $1,000 toward the cost of the annual July 4 fireworks display.

The Moontide Water Festival Committee and supporters have been trying to raise about $10,000 to help pay for the display since it was learned that the carnival that usually comes to the event, had canceled. Some of the money raised by the carnival helps pay for the fireworks.

The town of Rumford had already donated $10,000 toward the total cost of putting on the four-day festival and fireworks. But selectmen agreed to donate additional funds if the goal of $10,000 isn’t reached by Sunday night.

As of Thursday night, Lovejoy, who has been canvassing area businesses and towns for additional funding, said less than $1,000 remains to be raised.