City officials say they will have to find extra money to upgrade lighting for the city’s parking garages.

The decision comes after the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Tuesday took seven bids to upgrade lighting at the city’s parking garages on Mulberry Street under advisement.

All seven bids exceeded the $180,000 budget for the project. Three of the bids received by the board were more than double that budget, with the highest bid at $409,000. The lowest was $145,000 overbudget. The bids were for the lights only. Security cameras were listed in the specifications as an alternate bid.

“You’re talking about anywhere between $180,000 to $190,000 we’re going to need to move around,” North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said after the meeting. “If we want both these garages used, it looks like we’re going to have to get to work and find a couple of dollars.”

“We’ve just got to find the money,” Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said. “When you look at the overflow of traffic in the downtown area, it’s just not safe enough.”

“It’s got to be done. It’s a matter of safety and security, so I’m for doing it,” Flaggs Jr. said.

“I think it will pay off. I think it will pay off for the downtown area and when the hotel (Portofino) opens again, it will pay off. It is a needed project for public safety and security in the downtown area.”

Flaggs said the board will have a work session Monday to review the city’s outstanding projects that have not gone out for bid and see what can be delayed or eliminated.

“The money’s there to do what you want to do, it’s just setting priorities,” South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson said.

“I think we can pull it out. I feel good we can move some money around to get the lighting done.”

Installing security cameras, he said, can be done later and for less than the alternate bids submitted Tuesday.

“I think it’s (lighting the parking garages) greatly needed,” Mayfield said. “Somebody told us at a board meeting you don’t find many people that’s going to park in a dark parking garage. They’re being used somewhat in the daytime, but a garage can even be dark in the daytime if it’s not properly lit.

“So we’re going look at what we possibly can move around on some of these other projects to get this done.”

City officials want to upgrade lighting and install a video surveillance system in the parking garages to encourage more people to use them when they go downtown to shop and eat.

The move was in response to an increase in traffic and activity in the downtown area centered primarily on Washington Street. The parking garages backup to Washington Street.