OPINION:
All the Democrats on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in Virginia voted to impose a 4% meals tax surcharge (in addition to the 6% state sales tax) on consumable food, despite voters having resoundingly rejected such a levy in 1992 and 2016.
“Fairfax County Democrats just raised the cost of eating” (Web, Jan. 6) rightfully points out that the consequences of the next tax will likely be residents dining out less frequently, restaurant revenue decreasing and a smaller-than-projected increase in tax revenue. However, the op-ed misses one other very important consequence: A 20% tip added to a 10% state and county surcharge equals a 30% increase that customers, for example, may seek to mitigate with a smaller tip.
After the Fairfax supervisors recently voted to give themselves major pay increases, another unanticipated consequence of the meals tax may be decreased pay of all the food service workers in Fairfax County.
PAUL J. MCILVAINE
Alexandria, Virginia
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