While it doesn’t appear the county commissioners will increase taxes for the upcoming fiscal year, it makes sense to have a backup plan and this backup plan is the quarter cent sales tax.
Unlike a property tax increase, a quarter cent sales tax doesn’t discriminate. Anyone who buys something here, whether they live here or not, helps fund the county. The many cars you see in Cracker Barrel bearing out of town tags are helping fund it, same as the many cars you see in Walmart or anywhere else in the county.
We do it every time we go out of town to shop and we don’t seem to mind, not only paying the sales tax but gas to travel out of the area, many times buying items we could have found here or ordered online.
We think the county is doing all it can in a tough economic climate to cut costs without cutting its obligations to the citizens.
Naysayers can say sell Halifax Home Health and Hospice but what sense would that make? They get cash in hand but nothing in the future.
As board Chairman James Pierce told us recently, you could make the same argument for cutting out deputies or closing libraries and we would certainly hear from citizens if that happened.
The thing about the quarter cent sales tax is, even if it is approved by voters Tuesday, it doesn’t mean the county will immediately enact it.
It’s a safeguard, a fallback plan that can be used if needed or it could just sit there.
Economic times are bad, the county is looking at everything it can to cut expenses. The quarter cent sales tax is one of those options and one we believe makes sense — Editor
comments
They had, already, made up their minds to raise taxes one way or another. I think the sales tax increase was the lesser of the 2 evils. It is easier to shop in Virginia than to sell real estate in a down economy. 8% vs 5%. It's a no brainer.
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