Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The Mashpee Finance Committee voted against recommending a moratorium on retail marijuana sales in town and instead recommended to allow one, and possibly two, stores.
The committee voted 5-0 against recommending an article at October Town Meeting to adopt the two-year moratorium, and 4-1 in favor of limiting the number of recreational stores based on 20 percent of the number of liquor stores in town.
The committee met to review the articles of October Town Meeting last Thursday, August 24.
Mashpee Board of Selectmen last Monday, August 21, submitted two articles for Town Meeting, essentially giving voters three options. The first article asks residents to approve a two-year moratorium, while the second article would allow one retail marijuana shop to open based on 20 percent of the number of liquor stores in town. Mashpee has nine liquor stores permitted, so one marijuana shop would be able to open if the article passed. If a 10th liquor store opens, the town could permit two.
If Town Meeting votes against both articles, Mashpee will not have its own bylaw and the number of companies allowed to open will not be limited.
Based on those who attended the finance committee meeting, members discussed the topic for about 40 minutes and reasoned that the town could handle the responsibilities of governing a marijuana shop and that the revenue stream from a retail store could help offset other costs in town and keep property taxes low; and a moratorium would put Mashpee behind the curve instead of in front of other towns that have enacted moratoriums or banned the sale.
Marijuana was legalized through a ballot question in Massachusetts in November.
"If it comes to Mashpee, I would like it to be regulated, safe and that we get the revenue for the town," committee member Andrew G. McKelvey said. "We have a lot of people with fixed incomes and they deserve to live on Cape Cod. That revenue stream can help keep taxes down, so that it doesn't force people to move away."
He also noted the town has big ticket items coming that could increase property taxes more, such as wastewater infrastructure and two school building projects–Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich and Quashnet Elementary School renovations.
Mr. McKelvey said that as a finance committee member, he is appointed to advise the town on what is fiscally responsible. But he also encouraged residents to make their point at Town Meeting if they disagreed.
Chairman of the committee Michael R. Richardson said that now that marijuana is legal, the town should regulate and govern it responsibly. He said that the town has been able to responsibly govern alcohol sales–which he argued led to more family issues, driving accidents and other problems compared to marijuana–so it would be able to responsibly govern marijuana.
"Driving a car can be dangerous," Mr. Richardson said. "But we put in rules and regulations to make it as safe as possible."
Mashpee Town Manager Rodney C. Collins estimated earlier in the year that the town could earn between $300,000 and $4.5 million a year, depending on the number of other retail stores that open in the region.
All other towns on the Upper Cape have either banned the sale or initiated a moratorium, while several communities in southeastern Massachusetts have also banned or initiated moratoriums.
"It is my responsibility to bring potential revenue resources to the table for consideration, particularly considering these projections," Mr. Collins said yesterday. "Even under some of the conservative estimates, it is fair to assume these are significant numbers to consider given our financial outlook in 2021."
Town financial advisers have projected a potential need for an override in Fiscal Year 2021 if spending continues at the current rate.
"If people want to turn down the opportunity for this revenue source, I respect that decision," Mr. Collins said. "However, we will need to offset with other revenue sources to avoid a reduction in level services or to avoid a potential override."
Mr. Collins based his projections on a year-round Cape population of 220,000 with an additional 131,000 in the summer.
He projected 33,000 users would purchase 330,000 ounces of marijuana per year, which he based on statistics from states with legal recreational use (10 ounces per person a year). With a cost of $400 per ounce and a 3 percent tax, that would be $3.9 million.
With the addition of 131,000 people to the Cape during the summer months, Mr. Collins's predictions increase to $4.5 million.
Mr. Collins also provided projections based purely on Mashpee residents and summer residents, projecting $276,800 with a 3 percent local tax.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Mashpee FinCom OK With Marijuana Revenue | Mashpee News | capenews.net
Author: SAM HOUGHTON
Contact: Contact Us | Site | capenews.net
Photo Credit: Angela Rowlings
Website: capenews.net | powered by The Enterprise
The committee voted 5-0 against recommending an article at October Town Meeting to adopt the two-year moratorium, and 4-1 in favor of limiting the number of recreational stores based on 20 percent of the number of liquor stores in town.
The committee met to review the articles of October Town Meeting last Thursday, August 24.
Mashpee Board of Selectmen last Monday, August 21, submitted two articles for Town Meeting, essentially giving voters three options. The first article asks residents to approve a two-year moratorium, while the second article would allow one retail marijuana shop to open based on 20 percent of the number of liquor stores in town. Mashpee has nine liquor stores permitted, so one marijuana shop would be able to open if the article passed. If a 10th liquor store opens, the town could permit two.
If Town Meeting votes against both articles, Mashpee will not have its own bylaw and the number of companies allowed to open will not be limited.
Based on those who attended the finance committee meeting, members discussed the topic for about 40 minutes and reasoned that the town could handle the responsibilities of governing a marijuana shop and that the revenue stream from a retail store could help offset other costs in town and keep property taxes low; and a moratorium would put Mashpee behind the curve instead of in front of other towns that have enacted moratoriums or banned the sale.
Marijuana was legalized through a ballot question in Massachusetts in November.
"If it comes to Mashpee, I would like it to be regulated, safe and that we get the revenue for the town," committee member Andrew G. McKelvey said. "We have a lot of people with fixed incomes and they deserve to live on Cape Cod. That revenue stream can help keep taxes down, so that it doesn't force people to move away."
He also noted the town has big ticket items coming that could increase property taxes more, such as wastewater infrastructure and two school building projects–Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich and Quashnet Elementary School renovations.
Mr. McKelvey said that as a finance committee member, he is appointed to advise the town on what is fiscally responsible. But he also encouraged residents to make their point at Town Meeting if they disagreed.
Chairman of the committee Michael R. Richardson said that now that marijuana is legal, the town should regulate and govern it responsibly. He said that the town has been able to responsibly govern alcohol sales–which he argued led to more family issues, driving accidents and other problems compared to marijuana–so it would be able to responsibly govern marijuana.
"Driving a car can be dangerous," Mr. Richardson said. "But we put in rules and regulations to make it as safe as possible."
Mashpee Town Manager Rodney C. Collins estimated earlier in the year that the town could earn between $300,000 and $4.5 million a year, depending on the number of other retail stores that open in the region.
All other towns on the Upper Cape have either banned the sale or initiated a moratorium, while several communities in southeastern Massachusetts have also banned or initiated moratoriums.
"It is my responsibility to bring potential revenue resources to the table for consideration, particularly considering these projections," Mr. Collins said yesterday. "Even under some of the conservative estimates, it is fair to assume these are significant numbers to consider given our financial outlook in 2021."
Town financial advisers have projected a potential need for an override in Fiscal Year 2021 if spending continues at the current rate.
"If people want to turn down the opportunity for this revenue source, I respect that decision," Mr. Collins said. "However, we will need to offset with other revenue sources to avoid a reduction in level services or to avoid a potential override."
Mr. Collins based his projections on a year-round Cape population of 220,000 with an additional 131,000 in the summer.
He projected 33,000 users would purchase 330,000 ounces of marijuana per year, which he based on statistics from states with legal recreational use (10 ounces per person a year). With a cost of $400 per ounce and a 3 percent tax, that would be $3.9 million.
With the addition of 131,000 people to the Cape during the summer months, Mr. Collins's predictions increase to $4.5 million.
Mr. Collins also provided projections based purely on Mashpee residents and summer residents, projecting $276,800 with a 3 percent local tax.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Mashpee FinCom OK With Marijuana Revenue | Mashpee News | capenews.net
Author: SAM HOUGHTON
Contact: Contact Us | Site | capenews.net
Photo Credit: Angela Rowlings
Website: capenews.net | powered by The Enterprise
