REHOBOTH - Voters at a special town meeting Monday night said "yes" to a local meals tax, making Rehoboth the fourth town in the area to approve the tax.

North Attleboro, Norton and Plainville had previously approved the tax.

Rehoboth voters also approved an amended budget for this fiscal year that began July 1 and new police cars, but voted to postpone a debt exclusion, or temporary override of the state's Proposition 2 1/2 tax limiting law to fund a solar energy project - effectively shutting down the proposal.

Only 216 voters were in attendance.

The state is estimating that Rehoboth could get as much as $46,000 annually from the meals tax. The 0.75 percent meals tax amounts to an increase of 75 cents on a $100 dinner tab. There are about 40 businesses in town that serve food. "This would cost the average person in town when he stops to get a $1.50 coffee, one cent extra," said Peter Jacobson, a member of the Revenue Task Force.

"It's going to benefit the town," said Randy Hicks, the Revenue Task Force member who researched the tax.

Residents approved funding for two new police cruisers. The vehicles will be leased at a cost of about $12,000 per year per vehicle and will replace two aging cars in the fleet.

"We are in dire need of replacing our vehicles," said Police Chief Stephen Enos, adding that some of the cars had over 100,000 miles and "are breaking daily."

Resident Edwin C. Ballard made a motion to postpone the override question to April town meeting. The article would have put a proposal to fund a solar energy system on the April ballot. Several residents spoke against it.

"My concern was we're in a serious financial situation, and I didn't hear enough to convince me it had to be done," Ballard said.

Due to the timing of applications for available energy rebates, there is a question whether the project will go forward.

"By not putting it on the ballot, we have restricted options for funding this money-saving project for the town," said David House, Energy Committee member.