NPR New England Has Some Numbers On Cannabis Tax Earned By Some Massachusetts Towns & Cities

NPR  report 3 July 2019………….. Massachusetts cities and towns with marijuana businesses are getting revenue from a three percent tax on retail pot sales.

The top cannabis tax earner in western Massachusetts from February to April is Northampton, pulling in more than $530,000. Great Barrington was next in line with nearly $226,000. Easthampton received just over $163,000, and Pittsfield got more than $85,000.

Northampton mayor David Narkewicz said he has “been trying to dampen expectations” about the amount of tax revenue that will come in long term.

“I’m trying to caution people that it’s not going to solve all of our financial woes, and that in the early going, it’s going to be challenging to budget for the future without having a few more quarters,” he said.

Northampton budgeted $1.2 million from pot taxes for its fiscal year 2020 budget, which started July 1.

Narkewicz said it was a conservative estimate.

“It goes right into our general operating fund dollars,” he said. “Just like the meals tax. Just like the hotel motel tax. Just like property tax. And then we make decisions about how to spend it based on the overall budget.”

Pittsfield plans to put half of its marijuana money into a stabilization fund, used for emergencies, and can help improve the city’s bond rating. The rest will go into the city’s general fund, but it’s not earmarked for anything specific.

But residents have lots of ideas about how to spend the marijuana tax revenues.

Pittsfield resident Rodney Jones sat at a bus stop taking a break between his day job, working at a factory and a night job, cleaning a school. He’d like to see the taxes from marijuana go to repair potholes and parks.

“They’re pretty beat up now from wear and tear,” Jones said. “Some of the playground fixtures — they’re really loose from kids playing on them constantly.”

Another Pittsfield resident, Hyson Williams, is also thinking of children.

“Like entertainment or recreational stuff for the kids,” Williams said. “Things like — they could play chess, like games. Or learning stuff.”

Jessica Nerrie, who has a 13-year-old son and is living on disability, would like to see the money help low income residents and the homeless.

“A lot of money should be spent on shelters, on more food,” Nerrie said.

Adam Ingenito pulled a red wagon down North Street in Pittsfield with his three-year-old son Antonio. Ingenito said it’s too early to know what to spend the pot tax revenues on until the city has a better idea of how much it will get on a regular basis.

“You can’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Ingenito said. “I think you should build up an account, see where the needs are and then determine. I think to try to determine now where they’re going to use the money is a little premature.”

More at  https://www.nepr.net/post/weed-taxes-roll-massachusetts-cities-and-towns#stream/0

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