Town Administrator Gretchen Neggers used a movie quote to illustrate the town's budget woes: "Well, it's Groundhog Day ...again."
MONSON – Voters at Monday night's annual Town Meeting approved the .75 percent meals tax as a way to generate an estimated $29,000 in yearly revenue for the cash-strapped town.
The meals tax previously was defeated at a special Town Meeting in 2009. This time around, voters approved the tax 111 to 49.
Lakeshore Drive resident Andrew Jaffee voted against it. He wanted to know if restaurant owners had been polled beforehand, and said this would be another increase on top of the recent change in the sales tax from 5 percent to 6.25 percent.
Finance Director Deborah A. Mahar said she did not know if the restaurant owners had been approached. Jaffee said the town has a "responsibility to reach out to them" and said he had an issue with the process.
"We need all the businesses in this town to thrive," Jaffee said. "This does not necessarily engender their growth or stability."
"What's next, a toll at Route 32?" he said to laughter.
Jeffrey D. Lord, of Green Street, said if he spent $20 at Mug & Muffin, that would amount to 15 cents.
"Wow," said Lord, who voted for the meals tax.
Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers said when the meals tax was first presented to the voters 18 months ago, she said it had no track record.
Since its implementation in other communities, Neggers said there has been no visible impact on restaurants.
"Palmer has it, and it hasn't put the Palmer Dunkin' Donuts out of business," Neggers said.
Another article on the 30-article warrant that generated discussion was the stretch energy building code, which was ultimately approved. Opponents expressed concern about additional costs, and said it also should be an individual's choice to pursue more energy efficient measures.
Selectmen Vice-Chairman John F. Goodrich II said adopting the stretch code will allow the town to move forward with 'green community' status, opening it up to needed grant opportunities.
The code requires stricter energy efficiency requirements in new residential and many new commercial buildings, as well as residential additions.
Though it may add an additional $3,000 in building expenses for the average single-family home, and 1 to 3 percent in additional costs for commercial structures, homeowners and building owners should save on energy costs over time as energy efficiency is expected to improve by 20 percent.
Neggers used a movie quote to illustrate the town's budget woes: "Well, it's Groundhog Day ... again."
"Things haven't really changed," Neggers told the voters.
She estimated the town is in the fourth year of budget cutbacks, and that Monson is continuing to operate with declining revenues and less state aid, while costs for fuel and health insurance are skyrocketing. For example, she said in 2001 the town's healthcare costs were $500,000. Now, they are $2.3 million. Healthcare climbed 16.5 percent, or $343,000, since last fiscal year, she said.
Initiatives such as the meals tax, and stretch code, should help the town, she said later.
School Department cuts, which include 4.5 teaching positions, were not questioned by the voters. The positions are a districtwide music teacher, special education teacher at the middle school, and two teachers at Quarry Hill Community School, likely in the third and fourth grades. A full-time gifted and talented teacher at Quarry Hill will be reduced to part-time.
The total budget approved for fiscal 2012 is $22 million, compared to fiscal 2011's $23 million. Of the town's 5,560 registered voters, 186 turned out for the Town Meeting.