NEWPORT — It’s just a simple slip of paper, yet it represents so much more.

Given out universally, yet loathed by all, parking tickets are the thin orange line between a community’s need to manage automobiles and enhance revenues and the indignant fury of scofflaws.

And in tourist meccas such as Newport, where officials strive to put out the welcome mat for travelers, a ticket can be downright inhospitable, vexing enough to make some visitors not want to return.

“You are trying to make the businesses happy, the visitors happy and the residents happy and you are also trying to make a safe environment for everybody,” said traffic Sgt. John Barker Jr. “Chief McKenna has repeatedly expressed to me that we have to be very conscious of the public who come to our town to visit, but we also have to be responsive to citizens who call in parking complaints. We do our best to strike a balance.”

Newport, with its narrow streets and congested downtown, draws millions of visitors each year to such attractions as the Thames Street shopping district, Bellevue Avenue, Cliff Walk and the annual music festivals at Fort Adams State Park. To manage the influx of vehicles, the city relies on parking meters, no parking areas and permit-only areas.

So when motorists park illegally, they risk a $25 fine. In peak months, the police issue about 8,000 tickets a month, Barker said.

In 2006, the fines totaled $1.03 million. Last year, the total was $966,000.

Not all the fines are collected, however. Some scofflaws never pay and some successfully appeal the fines. For the fiscal year that began July 1, the city budget relies on $900,000 in parking ticket revenues.

Last summer, a group of tourists visiting Newport received a parking ticket. They were so upset they canceled their plans to spend more time in the city, opting to tour and dine in other parts of Rhode Island. Afterward, one described their disgust in a letter to the Newport Convention and Visitors Bureau, with copies going to City Hall and getting reported in the media.

Barker said the city has been willing to try new and innovative ways to manage parking while trying to be sensitive to motorists. Last year, for example, parking aides were instructed to place warning tickets on cars. If the vehicles were still parked illegally when a second parking aide came by half an hour or hour later, then they were issued tickets.

The “courtesy” program ceased after one year, said economic development director Jonathan Stevens, because of the increased manpower and foregone revenue. This year, he said, the city found an alternative way to provide some relief to motorists. Meters are programmed not to display a violation for 10 to 15 minutes after the time expires. Courtesy, said Barker, is now “built into the meter.”

“We’re forced to come up with new ideas just because of the growing population. Everyone has cars. You have to try to accommodate and control the vehicles coming into town,” Barker said.

At two locations, the city is trying out a “pay and display” program. Motorists park in designated areas without meters, but must go to a nearby machine to buy their preferred amount of time. The information is printed on a ticket they then place on their dashboard. The machines are located on Washington Square and at the Touro Street parking area.

One problem with the program has been inadequate signs, said Barker. Some people don’t see them and don’t realize they are supposed to buy time from a machine. As a result, some get parking tickets. The signs will have to be improved, he said.

Confusion also arises when yellow paint marking no-parking areas fades from pavement, crosswalks and curbing, said Barker. He said he maintains a list of areas that need to be repainted and signs that need to be repaired or replaced.

“We try to be very sensitive to those with parking tickets. And we try to take some back because we’re not perfect. If someone comes up to you and they are reasonable, we are willing to void tickets with a reasonable excuse,” Barker said. We’re extremely liberal. We’re very lenient.”

rsalit@projo.com