PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Should the city set aside half of the income from local marijuana taxes to fix the roads?

 

That's what City Councilors Melissa Mazzeo and Christopher Connell suggest. The pair put forth a petition to designate 50 percent of the local marijuana tax into a stabilization account to repair roads.

 

Connell said the city is borrowing some $2 million or more every year for road repairs. Those bonds are paid off over as long as 25 years while the individual roads are lasting less than half that time.

 

"We are digging ourselves a big hole. We are borrowing, doing the road, and before they are paid off, we are borrowing and doing them again," he said.

 

Connell said he'd like to see the debt service obligations in the budget decline by borrowing less for the roads. With the new revenue, Connell is hoping, in the best case scenario, that there will be enough to eliminate the city's need to borrow for road work. 

 

"This would minimize or maybe eliminate in some years our borrowing," Connell said.

 

Four years ago, a consultant developed a pavement management plan the city still uses that determined it would cost $3.5 million per year to keep the roads in decent condition. The state provides some money to help with the repairs, but not that much and the city fills in the gap. 

 

The new revenue stream is eyed by the councilors to take place of capital borrowing.

 

"I look at it as money we don't have," Mazzeo said.

 

The estimates for the amount of revenue municipalities will take in as a result of the marijuana tax varies so it isn't known how much the city should expect. And the City Council had already agreed to use half of the marijuana tax to put into a stabilization account. 

 

"I think it is a little premature to pigeonhole the remaining 50 percent of those revenues," Ward 3 Councilor Nicholas Caccamo said.

 

Councilor at Large Peter White said he doesn't want to lock the city into committing all of the potential funds at once. He said each year is different and there could be years during which there is a higher priority to use those funds. He'd rather it take it year by year.

 

"I do like to see more leeway given to a policy document, which is what the budget is, to decide priorities," White said.

 

Council Vice President John Krol said allocating the funds now would tie the hands of the administration, which he feels is tasked with crafting the annual budget and setting priorities. The City Council then tweaks and finalizes the budget. 

 

"I don't think this is the councilors' role. When you create the budget, it starts with the administration and it starts with the mayor," Krol said. "If you want to do that, run for mayor."

 

That comment led to a sharp back and forth between Krol and Mazzeo. Mazzeo said the City Council is always tasked with looking for ways to increase revenue for its priorities. She said dedicating resources to the council's budget priorities is "exactly what we should be doing."

 

"Last I checked, the City Council is the legislative body. We deal with the finances of the city," Mazzeo said.

 

The conversation will continue as the City Council referred the petition to the Finance Committee. Krol was the only vote in opposition.