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Fact Check: Can Corpus Christi impose a “soda tax”?

Posted at 1:51 PM, May 15, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-28 11:17:05-04

We’ve been reporting for weeks that the City of Corpus Christi is facing a $20 million budget shortfall.

During the public comment portion of last Tuesday’s City Council meeting, two men asked the council to consider what other cities across the nation have done and that is to impose a "Soda Tax." They suggested that the extra money could help the budget.

Several cities across the nation including, Seattle, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Chicago (Cook County, Illinois) have already imposed this kind of tax.

So, the question is "Can the City of Corpus Christi impose such a tax?"

Verdict: No, it cannot.

According to City Attorney Miles Risley, the Texas legislature has not approved legislation that would allow Texas cities to impose a "Soda Tax."

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