Here’s everything Philly’s soda tax money is (and isn’t) paying for
Earlier this year, City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart’s first report on the so-called soda tax sparked a war of words with Mayor Jim Kenney, whose reputation is closely tied to the controversial levy and the programs it’s intended to fund.
As the Philadelphia Beverage Tax enters its third fiscal year, the tension doesn’t appear to be letting up.
On Tuesday, Rhynhart’s office released a sleek, searchable database of all revenue and expenditures made possible by the 1.5-cents-per-ounce tax on sugary sweetened beverages. Accompanying the data was a familiar recommendation for the Kenney administration: move the money into a separate account.