Boston City Council considers alcohol tax to fight addiction crisis
The Boston City Council discussed an additional tax on the sale of alcohol in the city at a Thursday hearing.
City Council President Bill Linehan and City Councilor Frank Baker first filed papers for the proposal in February, hoping to levy a 1 to 2 percent tax on the sale of alcohol in restaurants, taverns, bars, supermarkets, and package stores. If passed, the revenue would be used exclusively to fund substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.
“In both hearings we all agree we need revenue to address the problem, property taxes are the number one source of revenue and folks are truly over burdened,’’ Linehan said in a statement to Boston.com. “This tax makes sense, to combat the addictions.’’
Linehan and Baker said in May that they estimate the additional tax could pull in around $20 million, creating funds to increase the capacity of treatment facilities and after-care programs.
The proposal has seen its far share of critics. A director of the Massachusetts Package Stores Association has called it a “tax on a tax,’’ and Gov. Charlie Baker said he perfers using existing finances for prevention and treatment programs rather than creating new taxes.
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