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Scituate

Meals tax up for debate

Scituate’s Town Meeting in April is set to consider adding a 0.75 percent tax onto existing state taxes for meals, but the use of the money is still up for debate. At a selectmen’s meeting last Tuesday, the Economic Development Committee proposed installing the local meals tax, which would generate approximately $200,000 annually, to be used for studies that analyze what kinds of businesses should be brought into the town and would start the community on a long-term approach to building the tax base. “As a town, we haven’t committed significant resources to economic development. . . . ,” said committee Chairman Chris McConaughey. “What we see is an opportunity for this money to make more money, to be used as an investment rather than something that pays down town costs.” Selectmen said they might propose a meals tax, but for other uses such as repairing sea walls or funding the town’s master plan.