Car Rental Surcharge Going out the Window?

A few years back, the city fathers, led by the late Councillor at Large and former mayor George Colella, implemented a tax on car rentals originating in Revere with the stipulation that that tax be put toward paying for a new public safety facility.

The new police station, built at a cost in excess of $10 million, was financed by bonds in that amount whose interest and principal are paid by the rental car tax.

About $800,000 a year comes into the city treasury every year and then goes out to pay for the new police station.

All of this is about to change. Revere will be left with a new and expensive responsibility.

The Federal Government is requiring all rental car groups in or within an airport area to be housed at the airport in order to cut down on emissions. With all the rental cars located in one area, there will be fewer busses transporting people to and from rental centers outside of the airport.

Massport is now preparing an area known as a Consolidated Rental Facility at Logan Airport where all the rental cars in Revere will shortly be housed.

This will be a tremendous loss of revenue for the city at a time when it can ill-afford to lose any of its precious revenues.

Trying to stem the loss is Representative Kathi Ann Reinstein and her boss, Revere Representative and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo.

While nothing is yet etched in stone, Reinstein and DeLeo will apparently be attempting to make up this loss of revenue with the city by adding supplemental revenues for the city from state funding or to preside over a compromise with officials from Massport, who should offer the city compensation for the income it is losing.

One way or the other, Revere must be taken care of in this instance.

To do nothing for the city when it is being robbed of its legitimate income is a crime.

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