CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. – Jim Goff lives in Bedford but often eats in Campbell County.
Hearing that a 4% local meals tax could be added to his bill the next time, Goff said, “No more tax. We got enough tax as it is.”
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Last January, the county board of supervisors passed a resolution to have voters decide whether there should be a meals tax.
Bob Good was out-voted and says Campbell County is proud to be a low-tax county.
“We as a county have $2.5 million revenue to spend this year without raising taxes,” Good, Sunburst District representative, said.
Eddie Gunter, the board chair, supports the meals tax.
“I think the biggest problem is people don’t quite understand the need of the county. And these larger projects,” Gunter said.
The county estimates the 4% meals tax could bring in about $1.6 million every fiscal year. Gunter says the money will be used to expand broadband service to those underserved in the county, replace public safety’s radio communication system, and set up a large capital improvement fund for Campbell County Schools.
“These are three important things we have got to look at and set aside money to take care of,” Gunter said.
This would affect everyone in the county except those living in AltaVista and Brookneal.
County leaders have tried twice already and failed to get the meals tax passed.
Tuesday will be the third try.
“I just hope that we could get it passed,” Gunter said.
“If it were to pass, then I would immediately propose that we give our citizens a relief in their real estate taxes to offset that,” Good said.