Re: 10% tax
Posted by:
More dumb
()
Date: January 28, 2015 07:59PM
The County needs more revenues. There was a lot of bleeding during the Great Recession and there are lots of cuts and scrapes and bruises that need to be treated and healed, not the least of which are in our school system. You could just let the property tax rate rise to cover it all, but a 4% meals tax would raise about $90 million, pretty close to what would result from raising the property tax rate from $1.095 to $1.135. But where a property tax increase would impact on all country residents, an estimated 35-40% of revenues earned from a meals tax would come from people who don't live in the County -- commuters, tourists, business travelers, and so on. They all stop off to use and enjoy our local services and amenities, so how about we give them a chance to pitch in when it comes to paying for them as well. And the impact on County residents would primarily be among those who are wealthy enough to eat out often and at higher-end venues. Virtually every local jurisdiction but Clifton already has a meals tax. Herndon, Vienna, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park, Alexandria, Arlington, and of course the District. Around the Commonwealth, all 39 cities, 49 counties, and more than 100 towns have a meals tax. Maybe Fairfax County should think about getting one too?