COEUR d'ALENE - Outta towners, dig a little deeper.

The Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce wants to raise downtown parking rates on the Fourth of July, aiming to use the increase to defray the cost of putting on the fireworks show.

Should the proposal go through, it would cost $12 to park your car downtown on Independence Day.

But the sparkling show attracts 15,000 to 20,000 visitors from outside the Coeur d'Alene boundary, so the cost would be covered by mostly those from out of the area.

"They know where to park," said Jon Ingalls, deputy city administrator, on locals knowing where to stash their cars for free. "They tend to try and avoid these lots anyway."

To pull off the raised rate, the chamber first needs to lease the city owned lots for $9,800. That deal would cover the city's lost revenue for the day - $7 for every parking spot - and give the chamber one-day ownership to increase the cost.

Last year, the two pulled off a similar deal that helped the chamber reach its goal of raising enough to cover the $30,000 boom-boom show. That charge raised the parking rate to $10 for the day. In the spring, the city raised parking fees, so the chamber would raise it to $12.

The price would affect four downtown lots: Roughly 800 spots between the Third Street, Independence Point, Museum of North Idaho and Memorial Field lots.

Chamber CEO Todd Christensen said the agreement helps the city keep its firework show at a time when other cities are unable to afford such a show, but City Councilman Woody McEvers, who agreed to the lease last year, voiced concerns at the time about setting a dangerous precedent for future events.

"I told them that once it starts, you'll never go back," McEvers said Monday. "Once you give it away, you never get it back."

The decision should go before the City Council in June.