Adams Passes 2 Percent Rooms Tax
 Edmund St. John III said if the 2 percent tax was voted down the Board of Selectmen would be required to begin collecting the 4 percent tax that was previously uncollected despite being adopted in 2000. |
The 2 percent occupancy tax will start being collected in July.
If it had been voted down, the town would be forced to implement the 4 percent tax that was passed in 2000 but never implemented, according to Town Council Edmund St. John III.
"The Department of Revenue is expecting either the 2 percent or the 4 percent to come their way," St. John said.
Since the state is now aware that the town passed the warrant article, the town needs to file for either the new 2 percent of the 4 percent, St. John said.
A vote for the 2 percent would override the 4 percent; a vote against would have implemented the 4 percent.
The third option, which town meeting member John Cowie advocated for, was to table the vote. The town would later have a chance to vote to repeal the rooms tax altogether during the June election.
Lawfully, according to St. John and Cowie, the town can only take one vote per year, so the 2 percent must be implemented for at least a year before it could be repealed.
 Even the Selectmen were split on the vote for the 2 percent rooms tax. |
However, tabling the vote would also mean that the 4 percent tax would then be collected until July.
"If we don't do anything here tonight, within 48 hours the board has to go through with the 4 percent," Moderator Joseph Dean said. "We can't wait, we have to do this now."
Even the Board of Selectmen was split on the decision. Selectmen Arthur Harrington and Chairman Michael Ouellette voted in favor of the 2 percent while Scott Nichols and Paula Melville opposed it. Jason Hnatonko was absent.
The Selectmen were split on the decision when they first adopted it, too.
"It was more of an indecision than anything," Nichols said. "My preference is to wait."
Town meeting members also unanimously approved taking portions of seven properties by eminent domain to extend the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail to Lime Street and to use Chapter 90 funds to fix a retaining wall on Enterprise Street.
Adams Special Town Meeting
