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waterboy
Senior Member
101 Posts |
 Posted - 08/07/2009 : 05:49:01 AM
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there is a meeting coming up at the end of August to adapt the 7% tax for the city of everett, I know chelsea did not do this, does anyone else know of any city adn towns that did not do this.
I hope all the c.c. and alderman use their brains on this one
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 09:05:14 AM
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Could you or someone please explain exactly what this tax is and when is this meeting scheduled?
"Deb" |
Edited by - massdee on 08/07/2009 09:09:23 AM |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2009 : 3:25:11 PM
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I don’t know when the meeting is but I believe what waterboy is referring to is the meals tax local option which, if adopted, would raise the meals tax in Everett to 7%. There’s also a local option to raise the tax on room occupancy (hotel/motel). I’ve included some information on each below.
Local Option Sales Tax on Meals
Pursuant to St. 2009, c. 27, § 60, the Legislature added a new chapter to the General Laws, chapter 64L: “Local Option Meals Excise.” Under this chapter, a city or town that accepts the provisions of this chapter in the manner provided by G.L. c. 4, §. 4 may impose a local sales tax on the sale of restaurant meals originating within the city or town by a vendor at the rate of .75 percent of the gross receipts of the vendor from the sale of restaurant meals. G.L. c. 64L, § 2(a). This local excise, which is imposed in addition to the 6.25% state sales tax on meals, takes effect on the first day of the calendar quarter following thirty days after acceptance by the city or town or on the first day of a later calendar quarter that the city or town may designate. G.L. c. 64L, § 2(c). A city or town must vote to adopt this increase not later than August 31, 2009 in order to impose the additional excise starting on October 1, 2009. The city or town must immediately notify the Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services of such action and will be requested to verify a list of meals tax vendors licensed to do business in that city or town. The verified information will be used by DOR to notify vendors of their obligations to collect and pay over the local excise and to ensure that sales are properly sourced to each community. .
Local Option Room Occupancy Excise Rate Increase
The recently enacted legislation, St. 2009, c. 27, §§ 51, 52, increases the maximum rate of the local option room occupancy excise from 4% to up to 6%, (from 4.5% to up to 6.5% in the City of Boston) provided that each city or town votes to accept the increased rate in accordance with the provisions of G.L. c. 64G, § 3A. The new rate may be imposed effective on the first day of the calendar quarter following thirty days after acceptance of the increased rate, or on the first day of such later calendar quarter as the city or town may designate.
In order to impose the local option room occupancy excise, a city or town must determine the new rate of the local excise, and then must immediately notify the Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services of its acceptance of the local excise, the rate at which the local excise is to be imposed, and the effective date of the rate change. A city or town must vote to adopt this increase not later than August 31, 2009 in order to impose the additional excise starting on October 1, 2009.
Further guidance for cities and towns is available at: You must be logged in to see this link.
While I’m not a fan of any tax increases, given that state aid to Everett in FY10 was cut by over $3 million, the city government should be having a discussion on how that shortfall is going to be addressed. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 10:31:00 AM
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I would think these taxes wold end up hurting our local businesses. When going out to dinner, people will go out of Everett.
"Deb" |
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waterboy
Senior Member
101 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 1:20:22 PM
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| thanks tetris I was trying to find the globe article that was in the globe north of the cities and towns that are not accepting this, I know chelsea, medford, malden are some of them but you know here in everett they are going to vote for it the meeting is aug 24 and aug 25. or 26 not sure, but it's not a joint meeting that was my mistake on my part I am just so upset that they will do this, business will be shutting the doors this is not Boston. taxes are going up anyways so wtf, just leave it at 6.25. and layoffs will be starting again in september cause the governor cut the city of everett over 3 million dollars so here we go again with the bumping and gettting people upset |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 2:50:10 PM
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Here's a quote from that link Tetris provided.
"Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone intends to ask the Board of Aldermen next month to approve the city’s adoption of the meals tax and the increase to the hotel tax, according to his spokesman, Tom Champion."
If Mayor Curtatone is going forward with this then Mayor DeMaria will also. It seems Mayor DeMaria takes his lead from whatever Somerville is doing.
Just my opinion.
"Deb" |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 9:06:22 PM
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Personally, I think it's a good idea. For those that can afford to be going out, I can't see that an additional 3/4% is going to send them to another city. And frankly, Everett needs the money.
Before you discard the idea, work the numbers. On a $100, we're talking $0.75. Is that going to keep you home or send you to another restaurant? If an extra $0.75 makes the decision about where to eat tonight, then you should be staying home............
Everything I touch lately costs more but my employer gave no raises this year. I'm not complaining, I still have a job which makes me luckier than a lot of others. But, with everything costing more, I really have to watch it and I'm all for anything that has the potential of keeping my taxes from going up too much. |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2009 : 10:37:53 PM
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The real problem is that we're probably going to get whacked with just about everything. How is the city planning on filling the $3 million plus shortfall in local aid? Yes, there are some things most regular citizens don't know all the details of yet. How much of the COPS grant the city received is available this year? There is stimululus money available from the state for fire departments; how much of that might the city receive? What is the new growth figure that can be applied to the tax levy limit?
We do know that before the city council made their cuts to the budget, the city was "right at" the tax levy limit and the cuts they made were less than $350,000. There's a good chance we're going to max out on property tax and that includes the $2 million that was applied to the levy last that reduced what property owners had to pony up.
Although every bit helps, the projections that can be found in Globle articles for the amounts that those cities and towns will raise thru local option taxes and the telecommunication tax aren't all that impressive. I don't know a lot about the telecommunication tax but it hard to believe that it won't be passed along to its end-users (Us!) as well.
Even with all these unknowns, it's hard to imagine that at least some cuts to the budget won't be needed. Doesn't that just put us back to where we were last spring?
There was a commentary in the Advocate this week that declared the "days of doom and gloom" in the city are over; I beg to disagree. I just think that important issues are being ignored, at least the public level. Will they remain swept under the rug until the elections are over? It wouldn't surprise me but, the longer the city waits to address them, the tougher they will be to overcome. |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 08:16:54 AM
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That's just it, Tetris........... Every little bit helps! We're going to end up paying one way or the other so if this tax keeps my taxes from going up be even a few dollars, I see it as a good thing.
Out of necessity, there may very well be budget cuts made at city hall. The problem with that, of course, is that they probably won't be the positions/people you & I think should be cut.
Did I read the information on the new police grant correctly? It sounds like with the acceptance of the money, no officers can be eliminated for a period of four(?) years. If I am interpreting it right, does that mean the force can't be downsized even through attrition? |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 09:09:41 AM
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Property taxes can only go up so much Justme because of Prop 2 1/2. I don't see anything right now that doesn't guarantee that they won't max out this year, even with the addition of the local option taxes. Of course, I'm not privy to all the information necessary to determine that.
There's another article in today's Globe about the local option taxes. No information about Everett though. But I thought that it was interesting that Saugus, with all of the restaurants located on Route 1, would only raise $87,000 from the local option meals tax in FY10 if they implemented it on October 1. Every bit does help but, it's not a be all and end all.
And you have to love how this is going down. While other communities are currently discussing the local option taxes, in typical Everett fashion, hardly anyone in the general public (sorry, the boards only a small part of the community) is plugged into this and it's not going to be put before the council until the last possible moment for an October 1 implementation. The council will then be forced to make a "take it or leave" (for three months anyways) decision. But it's hard to feel bad for them though since they were the ones that chose to take the summer off. The taxpayers are once again the losers by the lack of time for proper debate and comment on the issue.
Hard to know about the COPS grant without reading the actual grant language. Don't know if it means that the size of the entire force can't be reduced or if they can designate specific positions that can't be eliminated over the four year period. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 08/09/2009 : 09:51:30 AM
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You must be logged in to see this link.
The Boston Globe
Communities plan votes on tax options
By John Laidler
Globe Correspondent / August 9, 2009
Amid the deepening state and local fiscal crisis, many cities and towns in the region are considering whether to take advantage of two new tax-raising options.
The fiscal 2010 state budget allows municipalities to levy a local .75 percent meals tax, and increase by 2 percentage points the maximum allowable hotel/motel tax rate.
Municipalities need to act by Aug. 31 - through a positive vote of their town meeting or city council - if they want either tax increase to take effect the second quarter of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Otherwise, the next earliest time they could implement the taxes would be Jan. 1.
Winthrop’s Municipal Council voted July 28 to adopt the meals tax and to increase its hotel/motel tax to the new maximum local rate of 6 percent.
Council president Thomas E. Reilly said the $74,000 in revenue that the state projects the two local tax options will raise this fiscal year will help offset cuts in state aid to Winthrop, which were $772,000 deeper than expected.
And he called meals and hotel/motel taxes “more broadly based than property taxes,’’ and hence fairer.
The new local tax options are on top of the state’s existing meals tax of 6.25 percent and hotel/motel tax of 5.7 per cent.
State estimates of the revenues local communities could reap for the remainder of the fiscal year if they implement the meals tax Oct. 1 range from $7,757 for Topsfield to $669,445 for Saugus. Projected revenues from increasing the hotel/motel tax by 2 percentage points Oct. 1 range as high as $525,122 in Woburn. In 27 of the region’s 57 communities, the state projects zero revenue or makes no projections because each has two or fewer establishments.
Danvers plans to take up a meals tax and hotel/motel tax increase at a Special Town Meeting on Aug. 24. Town Manager Wayne P. Marquis, who proposed the town take advantage of the new options, said the revenue could be added to a fund the town maintains to repay debt on its middle school and high school building projects, and to help close a projected $200,000 budget gap resulting from a higher-than-expected drop in state aid.
In Revere, Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino has requested the City Council adopt the meals tax and hotel/motel tax increases. He said his preference is to implement the options Oct. 1, which would generate an estimated $628,715 in added city revenue this year. The City Council on July 20 referred the mayor’s proposal to its Ways and Means Committee.
“We have no other choice,’’ Ambrosino said of the tax increases, noting that the city faces a $2 million budget shortfall due to the extent of state aid cuts.Continued...
The Woburn City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday on a proposal to increase the city’s hotel/motel tax to 6 percent, and the council may vote on the matter that night, according to City Clerk William Campbell. Mayor Thomas McLaughlin proposed and a council committee this week recommended the city adopt the tax increase.
Saugus Town Meeting on Aug. 24 will consider proposals by Town Manager Andrew Bisignani that the town increase the hotel/motel tax to 6 percent and impose the meals tax. The state projects the options would raise a total of $756,351 for the town in fiscal 2010, including $86,906 from the meals tax, if they go into effect Oct. 1.
Bisignani said the new options “would bring in some needed revenues,’’ though he believes the state’s estimates are high. “It will plug a lot of holes that we have right now.’’
Burlington selectmen have decided to place a proposal before the Sept. 30 Town Meeting to raise the hotel/motel tax by 2 percentage points. Town Administrator Robert Mercier said the decision did not prompt much discussion.
“It’s one of those things people have come to accept,’’ he said of a hotel/motel tax. Mercier said selectmen are not proposing the meals tax as yet. “We just wanted more time to think about it.’’
Melrose Mayor Robert J. Dolan submitted a proposal to aldermen on July 20 to adopt a meals tax and increase the hotel/motel tax to 6 percent. The Board of Aldermen’s Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted to recommend that the full board approve the proposal.
In Somerville, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone last Monday submitted a proposal to the Board of Aldermen that the city adopt the meals tax and hotel/motel increase. The board is expected to vote on the proposal Aug. 27.
In Gloucester, Mayor Carolyn Kirk on July 28 proposed to the City Council that the city adopt both local tax options. The council referred the proposal to its Ordinance and Administration Subcommittee, which last Monday continued the matter to later this month.
Kirk said that responding to feedback from the local restaurant and hotel industry, she is proposing that 25 to 50 percent of the new revenues be earmarked for promoting the city.
“We are trying to put together a structure that puts this new revenue to work in new ways for the city,’’ she said. “I’d just as soon take the time to get it right’’ even if it means the increases are not adopted prior to the state’s Aug. 31 deadline.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
"Deb" |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 08/18/2009 : 12:32:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by waterboy
there is a meeting coming up at the end of August to adapt the 7% tax for the city of everett, I know chelsea did not do this, does anyone else know of any city adn towns that did not do this.
I hope all the c.c. and alderman use their brains on this one
Any update on this issue?
"Deb" |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2009 : 09:01:35 AM
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Melrose passed the 7% meal tax last Monday night, with a 6 to 3 vote.
"Deb" |
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charm
Senior Member
264 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2009 : 12:07:38 PM
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| but medford only passed the hotel tax not the meals tax in today's paper small article |
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Fran
Senior Member
250 Posts |
Posted - 08/24/2009 : 08:20:44 AM
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| Since the only hotel in Everett is the Prescott House I wonder how Mr. Smith feels about this. |
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Joint Convention
