Scituate Town Meeting Raises Room Occupancy Tax, Approves New Short-Term Rental Fees

SCITUATE — April 14, 2025 — Scituate Town Meeting approved higher short-term rental taxes and a contested easement while rejecting a Glades Road parking petition. Voters approved raising the local room occupancy tax from 4 to 6 percent, effective January 1, 2027, a move projected to generate $134,000 in additional annual revenue, with Hull, Marshfield, Plymouth, and Rockland already at the 6 percent ceiling. Town Meeting also adopted two new 3 percent community impact fees on short-term rental units under Articles 34 and 35, expected to bring in roughly $165,000 more per year, with 35 percent of those funds directed to infrastructure and affordable housing. Capital Planning Committee Chair Mike Gibson framed the measures as essential to closing a budget gap without a Proposition 2½ override, noting that "state aid has gone way down" while operating costs climb. A 1,283-square-foot permanent access easement off New Driftway passed by the required two-thirds vote despite resident calls to indefinitely postpone until a full development proposal is public. A citizen petition by Kyle O'Connor to ban parking on a stretch of Glades Road — and a last-minute floor amendment by resident Kristen de Garavilla — both failed on majority voice votes, with the Select Board, fire, police, and Advisory Board unanimously opposed.