Town representatives in Brattleboro voted over the weekend in favor of a $14 million upgrade of the town’s police and two fire stations. But they overwhelmingly opposed a tax to pay for it.
Brattleboro’s town meeting representatives met Saturday and voted down a proposed one percent local option sales tax.
Town officials had said revenue collected under the tax would help to fund improvements to the fire and police stations.
But local business organizations saw the tax as excessive and risky for the economy.
They pointed out that Brattleboro borders New Hampshire, which has no sales tax.
On Town Meeting Day in March, voters in Montpelier also struck down a local options tax on rooms, meals and sales after the Capital City’s business community lobbied against it.