Should Loudoun County Impose a Meals Tax? (Leesburg, Winchester: how much, closing)

[Caladium]

The news that the Tortilla Factory in Herndon is closing March 1 is so sad. It sounds like a major part of the problem was a Meals Tax imposed by the city of Herndon. Which makes me wonder if having a meals tax is really such a great idea.

Coincidentally, this is an issue in Loudoun County right now. Just a few weeks ago the Loudoun Board of Supervisors announced they are considering imposing a Meals Tax. Is it a good idea or a bad idea?

Would it mean restaurants in Loudoun will be closing and moving to another county? Or, would there be no effect, because restaurants want to be here tax or no tax?

Looking at it from another perspective, it’s not good to be overly reliant on one tax. And right now our county government is heavily reliant on the real property tax.

On the other hand, restaurants make up a high percentage of our independent businesses. Do we really want to hurt local businesses at a time when rents are high, customers are low, and they're struggling as it is? Having a nice variety of restaurants helps attract large corporations to our county--so maybe it would be smarter to encourage restaurants to open here instead of slapping them with a tax that will drive them out to the next county.

What do you guys think?

[sonnymarkjiz]

It would be an awful idea in Loudoun County. Then again, Loudoun is just about saving all the money they can....for......virtually nothing. Without new business in Loudoun, how do they expect the county to grow so it will actually have a population? This isn't the 1960's anymore where Loudoun was virtually ALL farmland, this is a booming area right on the verge of a booming tech business scene. They should not do this and encourage all businesses to move into the county by not giving businesses a meal tax, it's silly!

This same idea of thinking is a reason why the Silver Line Metro Stations are up in the air. What are we saving all this money on if none of this stuff ever gets complete? More McMansions and Harris Teeters? No to the Meals Tax.

[Caladium]

If Loudoun doesn't impose the tax, I wonder if the owners of Tortilla Factory will open a place out here?

[sonnymarkjiz]

I can see it being in Dulles Town Center for some reason, or in that general area.

[blublu]

My god! I didn't know there was a meal tax. Why not start charging people a sneezing fee. Everytime someone sneezes in public make them hand over a couple dollars. Oh and let's also charge people to use public restrooms. Oh, and how about a tax for breathing. Better yet, let's just tax everyone until they have no money left to give. Then we can just put them in jail or have them sentenced to death.

[sonnymarkjiz]

Yeah but I'm not surprised. Everything in Fairfax County is overinflated for no damn reason. Loudoun looks like it's trying to be just as cheap, though.

[GCPA]

Looks like Leesburg already does that....seems they have a 3.5% meals tax. Herndon, I think, is 2.5%. Would that mean paying an additional county meals tax on top of the city tax?

And, if you shop at the Wegmans in Leesburg vs Ashburn/Sterling/Dulles/Whatever, you pay a higher food tax there. Never noticed until one of the Wegmans clerks mentioned it one day when I mentioned how much busier the Sterling store was compared to Leesburg.

[South Jersey Styx]

There's already a 5% meals tax in Winchester. But I think it's for prepared foods only, not groceries. So the 5% city tax + 5% state tax = 10% meal tax anytime you eat out whether it's a deli or expensive restaurant.

However, if compared to Loudoun Co, our property tax in Winchester is much lower.

Also, I can't complain about the city services -- if the 5% meals tax goes towards this. I think they're pretty good out here.

Washington, DC has the meals tax too, I think it is 5%.

[spencgr]

Middleburg and Purceville also have a Meals tax. 4%, I think.....

[michgc]

Town of Vienna has a meals tax, too. It's 3%. Fairfax County does not have a meals tax - it's the Town of Herndon that does. So, if the meals tax was the issue, he would not have to move to Loudoun County, he could just go outside the Herndon town limits.