It looks like the Fairfax County meals tax — which officials estimated could raise an additional $90 million in revenue annually for the county — is facing the same fate as it did the last time around, only this time without a public referendum.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova doesn’t expect the 4 percent meals tax proposal to come before voters until at least after the 2016 election, .
Bulova went on to say that if the board had to consider a motion to put the meals tax on the ballot at this time, she would vote no.
The last time Fairfax tried to add a meals tax was in 1992, when it was voted down in a referendum. The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington against the tax this year.
The proposed tax seemed to be in jeopardy last week after a task force charged with looking at the issue reported its findings: essentially an equal list of pros and cons with to put the meals tax on the ballot.
Many other Northern Virginia jurisdictions — Falls Church, Arlington, Herndon and Vienna — charge a 4 percent meals tax; combined with Virginia’s 6 percent sales tax, that works out to 10 percent. D.C. charges a 10 percent meals tax, but does not add on any sales tax. Montgomery and Prince George’s counties do not charge a separate meals tax.
