Philly's Sweetened Beverage Tax Still Not Meeting Projections
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Revenue from Philadelphia's sweetened beverage tax continues to lag behind expectations. But city officials still say it's not time to revise their projections.
July saw $6.5 million in soda tax revenue. That's about a million less than officials hoped the tax would be bringing in by now. City spokesman Mike Dunn says it's still a significant amount.
"We are bringing in, now in seven months, $46 million for programs that are really going to enrich and support the lives of Philadelphians."
The city is postponing spending most of the money because of a lawsuit challenging the tax, but it has created 2,000 pre-K seats and 11 community schools, which Dunn says it would have been unable to do without the tax.
Mayor Jim Kenney says he still hopes to create 6,500 pre-K seats and 25 community schools in four years, and launch a seven-year effort to rebuild public facilities with the tax money.