This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s proposed sugary drinks tax again bubbled up for discussion today during a City Council budget hearing. Addressing the city’s health commissioner, City Council President Darrell Clarke said he didn’t believe that a tax on soda and other sugary drinks would generate enough money to support pre-K and other initiatives of Mayor Kenney’s administration.
"If there are declining revenues, then we will ultimately get to the point where we will have to raise another tax to maintain particularly the level of service that you are proposing, which is quite significant," Clarke said.