Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova appointed a task force April 22 to explore the possibility of putting a meals tax referendum on the ballot. The task force will submit its recommendations to the board June 17.
The task force will be co-chaired by former BoS Chair Kate Hanley and former BoS Chair and former member of Congress Tom Davis.
Its members will include representatives of about two dozen organizations, including the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, Alliance for Human Services, Federation of Citizens Associations, League of Women Voters, Republican and Democratic parties, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
“All of the cities and towns around and within Fairfax County have adopted a meals tax,” Bulova said. “Throughout the past few years, there has also been growing sentiment from constituents and organizations for our board to allow voters to decide whether they wish to avail themselves of this additional source of revenue.”
The task force will discuss whether a meal tax should be put to a referendum, and if so, when that should happen and how the revenue should be used. “It is ultimately up to the voters to decide if a meals tax is something they would support,” Bulova said.
Virginia law allows the governing bodies of town and cities to approve a meal tax. In counties, however, a meals tax must be approved by voters in a referendum. The last time a meals tax referendum was put on the ballot in Fairfax County, in 1992, it lost with 58 percent of voters opposing it.
Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax City have a 4 percent meals tax. Herndon’s meal tax is 2.5 percent, and Vienna’s is 3 percent. The District of Columbia has a 10 percent meals tax but doesn’t charge a sales tax on restaurant meals. Virginia’s sales tax on restaurant meals is 6 percent.
According to Bulova, a 4 percent meals tax in Fairfax County would generate about $88 million a year. A meals tax would apply to ready-to-eat foods and beverages wherever they sold, except vending machines. It would not apply to groceries.
The task force will be co-chaired by former BoS Chair Kate Hanley and former BoS Chair and former member of Congress Tom Davis.
Its members will include representatives of about two dozen organizations, including the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, Alliance for Human Services, Federation of Citizens Associations, League of Women Voters, Republican and Democratic parties, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.
“All of the cities and towns around and within Fairfax County have adopted a meals tax,” Bulova said. “Throughout the past few years, there has also been growing sentiment from constituents and organizations for our board to allow voters to decide whether they wish to avail themselves of this additional source of revenue.”
The task force will discuss whether a meal tax should be put to a referendum, and if so, when that should happen and how the revenue should be used. “It is ultimately up to the voters to decide if a meals tax is something they would support,” Bulova said.
Virginia law allows the governing bodies of town and cities to approve a meal tax. In counties, however, a meals tax must be approved by voters in a referendum. The last time a meals tax referendum was put on the ballot in Fairfax County, in 1992, it lost with 58 percent of voters opposing it.
Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax City have a 4 percent meals tax. Herndon’s meal tax is 2.5 percent, and Vienna’s is 3 percent. The District of Columbia has a 10 percent meals tax but doesn’t charge a sales tax on restaurant meals. Virginia’s sales tax on restaurant meals is 6 percent.
According to Bulova, a 4 percent meals tax in Fairfax County would generate about $88 million a year. A meals tax would apply to ready-to-eat foods and beverages wherever they sold, except vending machines. It would not apply to groceries.