Some Romantic Evening

Town Meeting isn’t usually a barrel of laughs, as local officials and residents peer over the finepoints of budgets and bylaws over the course of several hours late into the night.

But the two candidates for moderator in the recent town election both drew laughter dur­ing

a discussion of the local meals tax proposal this past Tuesday.

Jonathan Smith, who nar­rowly lost to CiCi Van Tine for town moderator May 11, spoke from the floor of Town Meeting in favor of a 0.75 percent local-option meals tax.

Some previous speakers had noted that a 0.75 percent tax is the equivalent of 75 cents of a $100 bill. “And no, I think the last time my wife and I ever spent a hun­dred dollars eating together was probably on our honeymoon 29 years ago,” Smith said, to chuck­les. “Yeah, I am a cheapskate,” Smith said, to laughter. Smith finished his point and then walked away from the mi­crophone. “Thank you, Mr. Smith, and my apologies to Mrs. Smith,” Van Tine said, to more laughter.