The City Council of Charlottesville is proposing an increase of 1% to our City’s Meals Tax in order to meet their budget desires. We are asking the City to look deeper and more creatively to meet their budget requirements, rather than taking the ‘easy’ path of increasing this unfair regressive tax. This is not just a tax on Restaurant Owners, but is in fact a tax on EVERY ONE OF US. While, at first glance, 1% may not seem like much, it will have a HUGELY adverse effect on Charlottesville’s world renowned restaurant culture, and all the customers who enjoy and support it. We, the Restaurant Owners, Workers, and Customers of Charlottesville ask that you stand with us against this increase. And here are just a few reasons why:
Meals Tax is a REGRESSIVE TAX that affects people unfairly. It penalizes small business owners, lower income and senior citizens, and service industry workers. (Information below from Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington RAMW)
Low to Middle Income Families-A greater majority of low and middle income families have two income households and are forced to buy meals in casual and fast food restaurants to feed their families on a daily basis. While these families can least afford the increased food prices they will support a large portion of the tax increase.(Source:Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Restaurant Association; 2011 data)
Senior Citizens-Senior Citizens dine out to a much higher degree than the average resident. For the most part these citizens live on fixed incomes. While many of these residents have tight budgets they will be forced to support a larger portion of this tax increase than the average resident (AARP Public Policy institute http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/ppi/econ-sec) (USCensus, http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/aging_population)
Restaurant Employees-Wait staff in full-service restaurants will likely be the most severely affected by the proposed meals tax increase. These employees’ primary source of income are tips. The gratuity on meals is immediately reduced by customers when a locale imposes or increases a meals tax.
There is a tipping point on the amount of tax that will be tolerated by the consumer and the businesses and we are dangerously close already. Raising the Meals Tax is a disincentive to our local population. The increase will push our currently loyal customer base to stay home, brew their own beer and cook in their own kitchens. The captive tourist population who have no choice just as the masses that visit UVA with their American Express accounts will not blink an eye. Our local population, our baseline, the customers that keep us in business through good and bad are the ones who will be penalized.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
March 4, 2015
February 23, 2015
I noticed the city council keeps talking about budget gaps like this tax is the only way forward but it feels like they are just ignoring us. I have been reading all your stories about how these extra costs actually hit the neighborhood spots we love and honestly it makes me more frustrated than ever that they think this is an easy fix.
Reached 100 supporters
February 19, 2015
183 Comments
I disagree with the idea that this tax will be mostly levied on tourists. One of the best things about being a local in this town is all of the amazing places to eat! Tourists are only a percentage of who frequents restaurants here!
For me this will put taxes paid for city restaurant dining over the tipping point in my own budget, reducing my dining out and hence resulting in shooting-in-foot.
The City Council should spend their energy making the city more desirable and easier for people to come and spend the food dollars... growing the taxable base by more than 25%. In the end it would mean more money in their pockets.
As a server in the city, heightened meals tax will decrease patronage at our restaurant. With so many restaurants in the city already, the business is thin and tenuous as it is. I struggle immensely just to pay rent and for my healthcare - please do not make my effort to survive even more impossible.
The meal tax was initiated to pay for the Omni with the political promise that the tax would expire when the Omni was debt free...There should be no meal tax at all...it places a budeon on the restaunters and actually puts the town entreaupeners in a direct competition wit the county where there is no meal tax.
Taking your family is already very expensive and heavily taxed! We go out to eat less due to cost.
Fredericksburg
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The City Council of Charlottesville is proposing an increase of 1% to our City’s Meals Tax in order to meet their budget desires. We are asking the City to look deeper and more creatively to meet their budget requirements, rather than taking the ‘easy’ path of increasing this unfair regressive tax. This is not just a tax on Restaurant Owners, but is in fact a tax on EVERY ONE OF US. While, at first glance, 1% may not seem like much, it will have a HUGELY adverse effect on Charlottesville’s world renowned restaurant culture, and all the customers who enjoy and support it. We, the Restaurant Owners, Workers, and Customers of Charlottesville ask that you stand with us against this increase. And here are just a few reasons why:
Meals Tax is a REGRESSIVE TAX that affects people unfairly. It penalizes small business owners, lower income and senior citizens, and service industry workers. (Information below from Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington RAMW)
Low to Middle Income Families-A greater majority of low and middle income families have two income households and are forced to buy meals in casual and fast food restaurants to feed their families on a daily basis. While these families can least afford the increased food prices they will support a large portion of the tax increase.(Source:Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Restaurant Association; 2011 data)
Senior Citizens-Senior Citizens dine out to a much higher degree than the average resident. For the most part these citizens live on fixed incomes. While many of these residents have tight budgets they will be forced to support a larger portion of this tax increase than the average resident (AARP Public Policy institute http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/ppi/econ-sec) (USCensus, http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/aging_population)
Restaurant Employees-Wait staff in full-service restaurants will likely be the most severely affected by the proposed meals tax increase. These employees’ primary source of income are tips. The gratuity on meals is immediately reduced by customers when a locale imposes or increases a meals tax.
There is a tipping point on the amount of tax that will be tolerated by the consumer and the businesses and we are dangerously close already. Raising the Meals Tax is a disincentive to our local population. The increase will push our currently loyal customer base to stay home, brew their own beer and cook in their own kitchens. The captive tourist population who have no choice just as the masses that visit UVA with their American Express accounts will not blink an eye. Our local population, our baseline, the customers that keep us in business through good and bad are the ones who will be penalized.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
March 4, 2015
February 23, 2015
I noticed the city council keeps talking about budget gaps like this tax is the only way forward but it feels like they are just ignoring us. I have been reading all your stories about how these extra costs actually hit the neighborhood spots we love and honestly it makes me more frustrated than ever that they think this is an easy fix.
Reached 100 supporters
February 19, 2015
183 Comments
It will come out of tips, plain and simple. People know what they want to spend and tips are where they can squeeze a little. It really will not affect "white table cloth" places but it will really make a difference in small diners, pizza places where staff can ill afford it.
I disagree with the idea that this tax will be mostly levied on tourists. One of the best things about being a local in this town is all of the amazing places to eat! Tourists are only a percentage of who frequents restaurants here!
For me this will put taxes paid for city restaurant dining over the tipping point in my own budget, reducing my dining out and hence resulting in shooting-in-foot.
The City Council should spend their energy making the city more desirable and easier for people to come and spend the food dollars... growing the taxable base by more than 25%. In the end it would mean more money in their pockets.
As a server in the city, heightened meals tax will decrease patronage at our restaurant. With so many restaurants in the city already, the business is thin and tenuous as it is. I struggle immensely just to pay rent and for my healthcare - please do not make my effort to survive even more impossible.
The meal tax was initiated to pay for the Omni with the political promise that the tax would expire when the Omni was debt free...There should be no meal tax at all...it places a budeon on the restaunters and actually puts the town entreaupeners in a direct competition wit the county where there is no meal tax.
Taking your family is already very expensive and heavily taxed! We go out to eat less due to cost.
Fredericksburg
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It will come out of tips, plain and simple. People know what they want to spend and tips are where they can squeeze a little. It really will not affect "white table cloth" places but it will really make a difference in small diners, pizza places where staff can ill afford it.