City Council Rejects Boston Alcohol Tax Proposal

BOSTON, MA — A proposal to levy a two percent surtax on all alcohol sales in the City of Boston fell Wednesday before the City Council.

In a 10-3 vote, the measure failed.

Had it passed the City Council and the state Legislature, it would have directed revenue from on- and off-premise alcohol sales to addiction and substance abuse programs and services, according to Council Bill Linehan, one of the bill's sponsors.

Linehan had previously estimated that tax would bring in $20 million in revenue, while the Distilled Spirits Council said the measure "would have crippled Boston businesses," WBUR reports. Linehan has argued that the small tax for such services would counterbalance the weighty cost of EMS, police and other taxpayer-funded ties to those struggling with addiction.

Councilor Annissa Essaibi-George was among those who voted against the tax, writing in a statement following the decision, "This legislation comes from the right place - a place of wanting to take action. But ultimately it takes too much from the City and leaves the State with too much room to take advantage of our efforts."

In her statement, Essaibi-George said she wasn't comfortable with the level of leeway the state would have over the bill's final language and control over the resulting tax revenue.

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