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Mayor unveils meals tax details
Top Headlines $50M in sales will bring city $515,000
ATTLEBORO - City restaurants need to generate $50 million in sales for the city to reap $515,000 on a 1 percent meals tax that Mayor Kevin Dumas has used to plug a big revenue gap in the 2010 budget.That's a lot of steaks, seafood and french fries, and some city councilors questioned whether local eateries can pull in that much cash, but Dumas said his administration ran the numbers with information from food industry sources, and they checked out. He, too, was stunned by the income, but told councilors Monday the figures could well be served up by the city's 71 restaurants. "At first I said, 'No way, something must be wrong,'" he said. "But we figured out how much each restaurant would have to do for each day it's open and it's a reasonable number," he said. "The numbers add up very quickly to that dollar amount." He said some McDonald's restaurants are known to rake in $10,000 a day. The $515,000 is an important gap filler for this year's budget and is based on 10 months of restaurant revenue to allow time for the tax process to get up and running. Dumas is also using $600,000 from the stabilization account and saving another $530,000 with unpaid worker furloughs to balance the $104 million spending plan. The meals tax, which must still be authorized by the state Legislature and approved by the council, will also help to support future budgets, Dumas said. "We're not just worried about today, but we're worried about sustainability going forward," he said. Councilor Jerry Chase couldn't quite swallow the numbers. "I reserve the right to remain skeptical," Chase said.
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shawnakeli wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:27 AM:
color wrote on Jun 17, 2009 12:51 PM:
bijou wrote on Jun 17, 2009 12:40 PM:
ishouldbemayor wrote on Jun 15, 2009 10:19 AM:
casino1 wrote on Jun 10, 2009 1:28 AM:
Maybe the City Council should just forget the meals tax and close the pools??? How many of you would complain if they yanked the towels out from under the kids. "
realist wrote on Jun 9, 2009 11:17 PM:
rebelrouser wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:15 PM:
jimr28 wrote on Jun 9, 2009 5:07 PM:
publius wrote on Jun 9, 2009 4:48 PM:
Now, assuming you get 15 mpg in your car, you are going to drive 5 or 10 miles to avoid the 1% tax. So at 15 mpg, driving 10 miles costs about $1.67, assuming $2.50 a gallon.
Based on a family meal costing $50.00, with the 1% tax adding up to .50cents, your savings is -1.17.
That's not much of a protest. No wonder we are so screwed up. "
usafvet wrote on Jun 9, 2009 3:32 PM:
familyguy wrote on Jun 9, 2009 3:03 PM:
attman63 wrote on Jun 9, 2009 2:24 PM:
usafvet wrote on Jun 9, 2009 1:23 PM:
kevin h. wrote on Jun 9, 2009 1:07 PM:
jeff79 wrote on Jun 9, 2009 12:36 PM:
Where is the accountability? Its unfortunate for the local business owners, but Ill eat in Norton and Mansfield because I am tired of how things are done around here. We need to send a message that enough is enough. "
1333 wrote on Jun 9, 2009 12:08 PM:
common_sense wrote on Jun 9, 2009 10:43 AM:
Do you realize how foolish it sounds to drive to Mansfield, Norton or were every to avoid 1%? Would you prefer they raise your property tax? I'll pay the measly 1%, if it adds up to $40 for the year I'll suprised. Just another reason to support th local business. "
educationfirst wrote on Jun 9, 2009 10:35 AM:
romanjor wrote on Jun 9, 2009 10:28 AM:
anavoter wrote on Jun 9, 2009 9:19 AM:
hope for attleboro wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:56 AM:
ishouldbemayor wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:51 AM:
sunnie13 wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:46 AM:
AndrewJackson wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:36 AM:
ps911fan wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:24 AM:
There's a lot of hyperbole here to make it seem as if Attleboro food servers will be adversely affected.
I wonder where the mayor got such an estimate and I think he should be able to back up and conpare numbers on previous revenue gotten from restaurant owners. If $50 million is a fair estimate and fairly reasonable estimate, then this meals tax is no big issue.
The idea that it will cost owners who already have to collect tax additional expenses is ludicrious as the already have to do the same thing now.
I think many of the posters here are determined to undermine any good will in this city as all they seem to do is excoriate anyone who cannot fall into the quagmire of conservative / teabagger ideology where being wrong and angry are more important than being right or factual.
have you no shame at all? "
harry hindsight wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:21 AM:
GoBigBlue wrote on Jun 9, 2009 8:02 AM:
kevin h. wrote on Jun 9, 2009 7:48 AM:
snooker wrote on Jun 9, 2009 7:40 AM:
piano1031 wrote on Jun 9, 2009 6:53 AM:
The pie-in-the-sky downtown plan is exactly that... who is going to park in the center of town in a lot with few spots, take your life in your hands to cross Rt. 118 only to grab fast food?
Just the other day I tried to get to a restaurant and my usual route (Olive Street) is closed, my secondary route was blocked due to a traffic accident on the Thacher Street bridge (caused by poor design), and because of all these detours, the center of town was a MESS!!
I'd just as soon get on Rt. 123 and head to NA for some food. I'll get there a lot easier. "
ken wrote on Jun 9, 2009 6:26 AM:
mayst wrote on Jun 9, 2009 5:59 AM:
mayst wrote on Jun 9, 2009 5:54 AM:
iflyhelis wrote on Jun 9, 2009 5:36 AM:
Looks like I'll be skipping out on eating out in the Attleboro's area in the future. "