They’ve done it before, and leaders of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce say they will mobilize again to defeat a meals-tax referendum slated to be placed on the Nov. 8 Fairfax County ballot.
“Placing the burden to fund government operations on the back of a single industry is wrong, and the anti-business message it sends goes far beyond those businesses directly impacted,” said Jim Corcoran, president of the business organization.
Corcoran made his comments June 7, the same day the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8-2 to place the referendum on the ballot. If approved by voters, the measure would add a 4-percent surtax on top of the existing 6-percent sales tax on meals at restaurants an prepared foods at convenience stores.
Supporters of the measure say it will enable Fairfax County to diversify its tax base, reducing reliance on real estate taxes. Opponents suggest those taxes will continue to rise even as the county government rakes in more cash from diners.
