The Town of Dartmouth will have some choices to make over the next few weeks. The first is whether or not to call a Special Town Meeting to consider an increase in the meals tax. I am in favor of putting this to the Town Meeting. If the Town Meeting will vote to increase the meals tax by .75% by August 31st, the town will realize an estimated revenue increase of more than $440K. The Blue Mass Group has a post about the decision in Bridgewater not to pursue the local option tax and about cuts to services. Some have argued that raising this tax will put town restaurants at a competitive disadvantage. I don't think that is the case. A .75% difference is 75 cents on a $100 meal tab or .03 cents on a kids meal. First consumers would have to know that the town has adopted the tax and then decide that the few cents is worth going somewhere else. I doubt that either will be the case except for a few instances.
If the Town Meeting does decide to adopt the local option taxes (there is an option to increase room tax that could add another 33-66K) the town will then have to decide what to do with the added revenue. The police department funding will be short due to the state not fully funding the Quinn Bill payments. Several capital requests were bypassed for lack of funds, ...
... notably, replacements for worn out police cruisers. The Board of Health funding has been cut to a level where maintaining inspections is difficult and other departments have seen reduced clerical support. All these areas could benefit from the increased revenue. This tax increase would be a source of on going revenue so it could be used fro nearly any purpose. If Town Meeting were to adopt the local option, where do you think the funds should be applied? Tell us in comments
Monday, August 3, 2009
Meals tax, revenue and spending
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38 comments:
It amounts to pennies on the dollar. Although some may not like the idea of taxing meals, I think this is a great oppurtunity for Dartmouth. These taxes are cheap and the impact on the town budget will be great. Many will not even notice the fluctuation on the bill.
I would rather raise our property taxes. taxes are taxes whatever way you slice it.
Anyone who thinks we don't pay enough taxes needs their heads examined or they are working under the table, or not working at all.
The few cents differance on the food sales tax will not stop me from eating out. However the inferior quality of food at some of these restaurants will keep me from patronizing them. I don't mind paying a little more for quality food and service.
Bill, Could you explain the purpose of the Conservation Commission? I thought that their purpose was to deal with the wetlands protection act. However, the chair is a low income housing developer. The vice chair is a real estate attorney. Another member is a civil engineer who plies his trade in Dartmouth. Another is an attorney whose interest was his Taj Mahal on Ricketson's Point, complete with riprapped seawall and these are the only ones I am aware of. I am afraid to ask about the other members. I can also tell you from personal experience that they have no interest in working cooperatively with the tax paying public.
Who cares what people do for their jobs while serving the town as long as it doesn't interfere with their town positions.
The chair's job is president of a property management company which contributes heavily to school groups, charities and other non-profits in the area. She also is a partner in two properties in Rhode Island, not Dartmouth.
So what is your point muckraker?
ConCom is going to be exposed at every turn because they act arrogantly and belligerantly towards the public at large.
"pennies on the dollar"??? Just one more tax being forced down our throats to pay for big government. Start adding up all the pennies on the dollar we are and will be paying in taxes. You will find all you are left with are pennies to live on.
pennies to live on??? do the math. Trimble gave a clear mathematical example last night. If you are opposed to any and all taxes, say so. B ut don't prentend this is punitive.
As the price of our labor in government goes up, so must the taxes or newer taxes. We can not keep raiaing taxes at a slower rate than inflation. That is not sustainable. Either we cut to the bone and only have essential services of Schools,Fire and Police or we find new ways to increase revenue and the meals tax is a great way to do so. This is not Big Government in Dartmouth, it is a way to stabalize what we already have. Top notch schools, elderly services and public works projects. Chairman Joe Michaud has stated in the past that he never would have guessed how much asphalt is for the roads we all drive on. He was surprised at the cost of that material.
Usually, and I have found this to be more true than not, when someone calls a board "arrogant" and "belligerent", they didn't like a decision that board made or the party that the decision was relative to.
I have found the ConCom as one of the most, if not the most cooperative boards with anyone who comes before them and the most responsive if there is an issue of concern that pops up.
ConCom is a joke and I have found that anytime someone on a board calls someone a muckraker for simply stating facts, they are not working in the best interest of the public. I did not start this and it could easily be solved if in fact ConCom wanted to be cooperative. Unfortunately, they would rather get into a full blown controversy which is what I promise this will be. Perhaps you could explain this to your mother Shawn.
Tell me Shawn, does ConCom work like school administrators? You know, like how our HS principal retired from Dartmouth to get a job in R.I. and our new principal is retired from R.I. and working here now.
Maybe it is time to actually have some conservationists on the conservation commission instead of developers.
I received a call regarding statements made on this blog and I am not sure what the previous anon-a-bloggers have to say. I can tell you this, if I have something to post on a blog, I always state my name. I do not hide and post anonymously.
As far as my mother goes, at 71 years old, she enjoys her work on the ConCom and has been doing so for many years. At least she is out there trying to make a difference or helping the Town by serving instead of sitting behind a monitor and whining.
If you have a problem with ConCom, call her or call Mike O'Reilly. I'm not sure what "full blown controversy" you are writing about.
Lastly, what the former principal of the high school does after she is no longer employed by the Town of Dartmouth is none of my business. Why should it be?
Our new principal of the HS did not come from RI. She was an administrator at Lowell HS. Please get your facts straight.
Now, it is time to leave work and go home. Enjoy the evening!
Bill,
If the members of Concom are invited to look at a project and none of them respond to the offer, would you consider that working cooperatively with the public?
If the concom agent has a problem with the project and doesn't say anything to the person but instead chooses to sandbag them with it at the public meeting, would you consider that working cooperatively with the public?
If the person then contacts the Concom agent , tries to have a reasonable and rational conversation, only to be responded to with arrogance and belligerance, would you consider that working cooperatively with the public?
Just asking.
Does everyone realize the forum title is meals tax?? No onder nothing gewts accomplished. How did we get to ConCom?
Yes Bill, how about a post dedicated to ConCom?
Looks like someone has an axe to grind with the the ConCom because they didn't get their way. Pathetic!
Pathetic is when people on the ConCom are given the opportunity to be well informed and they choose to remain clueless.
Perhaps someone can explain who built the stairway within 100' of the ocean on the property that was recently granted a conservation restriction on Mishaum Point. There was no permitting for it. Pathetic is when the same rules are applied differently to different people.
Pathetic is when town officials let their positions go to their head and treat citizens who show a good faith effort to get in compliance with arrogance and belligerance.
Pathetic is when developers control ConCom instead of conservationists.
Pathetic is when mountains are made out of molehills for political purposes.
ConCom is PATHETIC.
Is it me or do you all have difficulty reading the title of this post? Ask Bill to put up a piece on ConCom if the two of you who are responding wish to debate this until....whenever. The rest of us would rather talk meals/lodging tax.. What are your views on this??
Ray, you haven't seen inflation yet. Wait, it is coming. We cannot afford our government now whether it be local, state or federal. Who do you think is going to be paying for all the money we've been printing? What we can't sustain is our current government. It is time to downsize and cut costs just as the majority of Americans have had to do in their own households. Why should government be immune??? Why should public employees get increases with no cuts whatsoever in benefits when private employees are losing their jobs? If it takes only maintaining schools, police & fire, then so be it.
Are you for the juice and beverage tax too? That's only pennies on the dollar. How about the new gas tax? Do you think they should raise the cigarette tax again? There are countless new taxes being proposed that will only be pennies on the dollar. When does it stop? Our government will never be sustainable as long as it continues to be business as usual.
The one thing our government could do for us that would make a significant difference is real pension reform. Put all new hires on a 401K type of pension. Our obligations to the employees under the old system would have to be fulfilled but after that we would be rid of that burden. The currrent system is not sustainable. Why won't our government do this very simple thing to ease this taxpayer burden?
Cigarette tax??? Stop smoking. That bulletin has only been in place since the late 70s. Government might be late to the learning curve, but so are the smokers. I know when my parents finally learned...when they were hospitalized and couldn't pay for the care. Then the government picking up the tab is okay right???
The republican party has always been preaching about the federal deficit but every single Republican president has increased it,most notably was Ronald Regan,he doubled the national debt, Bush 1 and then Clinton came and supressed it. THEN the kicker GWB came and blew it up .. look at my blog I have a chart there put together by the treasury department.
Ray, what is your point? We have a Democrat for a president and the money is flying out the window. It isn't about one side or the other. Neither is any good.
You didn't answer the questions about other taxes.
anon 5:17 I don't smoke. My point was that eventually everything will have an added tax. Of course you didn't address the other issues I mentioned. Just pick the smokers because they are easy targets.
Back in the late 1700s or the early 1800s there was a sin tax, which is exactely what we are doing now with cigarettes and liquor. Trust me I don't think we should be adding tax to anything if government is not controling it's spending,but as far as Dartmouth goes...what are we over spending on? I would say we are pretty efficientely run,better than most towns our size. This meals tax is recurring revenue, not a one time stim that just gets us through another year. It is good for Dartmouth.
Ray, Let's face it, you've never seen a tax that you don't like. Tell you what, if you start putting as much energy into getting rid of defined benefit pensions as you do trying to raid our wallets, I'll vote for the meals tax.
I'm against raising taxes if the government is not watching it's pennies, but if you think the tax rate should stay at the rate it was 10 years ago, you are very naive. Just as you want a cost of living raise to keep up with inflation I think it is only fair to raise taxes within the pace of inflation. To think you can sustain a working government on a tax rate of 1999, your local government will cease to provide the essentials service we have come to expect.
Ray,
As expected, you totally ignored the wasteful government defined benefit pension program. You want money? Fix that and you'll have some. By the way, the taxe levy has been increasing above the rate of inflation since 1999. You are full of sh!** to pretend that they haven't.
Ray.... you are fighting with an anymously blogger. Its like fighting a ghost.
Why doens't the Republican party EVER intiate reform?...the health care system is in need of reform..Both parties agree...But the Republicans would never have stepped up and tried reform if the Democrats didn't try to do it first
to health care reform... it is the democrats in congress holding up the reform. They have a filibuster proof 60 senate votes and over 80 more democratic representatives in the house. If they can't pass it now, it will never pass. The blame will lie with the democrats. end of story.
The republicans seem to have fallen victim to their favorite tactic...fear.
Yeah, remember 2004 Bush election...hahaha red flag orange flag. Every time his poll numbers were down the red flag went up to scare people
Answer the question.... it isn't about republicans and the "fear "tacvtic. Democrats have the votes in both chambers of congress. If this is what we need, pass the bill and Prez Obama can sign it. It is in the democratic lap. If it doesn't pass, blame only the democrats. Can you possibly dispute this?? Please correct my numbers in Congress if you beleive they are worng. And Obama is a democrat. He needs majorities in both houses. If he keeps his party in check, he should get a bill through. If not, blame the democrats.
Yes, but being partisan only drives the division deeper.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/health-plan.htm
I don't want to drive the division any deeper. But reality is what it is. Bush and Republicans must share blame when they had majorities. Now its Obama and the democrats responsibility
I don't want to drive the division any deeper. But reality is what it is. Bush and Republicans must share blame when they had majorities. Now its Obama and the democrats responsibility
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