Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova 

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After adoption of the budget in late April, things usually ease up a bit in the Chairman's office: Not this time.

A number of activities have kept us going full throttle.

1. Task Force to Consider Putting a Meals Tax to Referendum

Throughout the past months as the Board of Supervisors and the community deliberated on the Advertised Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, a number of individuals and organizations have urged us to put the question of a meals tax to the voters.

In the Commonwealth of Virginia towns and cities are permitted to have a meals tax subject to an affirmative vote by the governing body. In Northern Virginia most of the cities and towns around and within Fairfax County have adopted a meals tax.

Counties, however, may establish a meals tax only if a referendum is approved by the voters. The last time this proposal was put on the ballot in Fairfax County was in April 1992. The referendum was not successful.

There has been a growing sentiment during recent years for our Board to once again allow the voters to decide whether or not they wish to avail themselves of this additional source of revenue. Reasons for urging this include the desire to diversify the revenues we have available to fund schools, public safety, parks, libraries and human services. If a meals tax were adopted at the state-approved rate of 4% of the cost of a restaurant meal, it would generate about $88 million annually.

At our board meeting on April 22nd, I proposed the establishment of a task force to consider the issue of putting a meals tax to referendum. The mission of the task force will be to recommend to the Board of Supervisors:

• Whether or not to proceed with a referendum for a meals tax;
• If it is the recommendation of the group to do so, the task force should recommend the timing (i.e. what year?) for the question to be put to the voters;
• And the task force should return to the Board with a recommendation for how revenue from a meals tax (if recommended) should be used.

I have asked former Board Chairmen Kate Hanley and Tom Davis to co-chair this task force and they have accepted.

The following are some of the organizations that have been invited to participate:

• The Republican & Democratic parties
• The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce
• The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington
• Visit Fairfax
• The Federation of Citizens Associations
• The League of Women Voters
• The Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance
• The Fairfax County Council of PTAs
• The Fairfax Education Association (FEA)
• The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers (FCFT)
• The Service Employees International Union (SEIU Virginia 512)
• The Park and Library foundations
• The Fairfax County Alliance for Human Services
• The Human Services Council
• Public safety organizations, e.g. Police Employee Pay & Benefits Committee, International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 2068, etc.
• Local/regional chambers, e.g. the Dulles Regional, Greater Merrifield, Greater Springfield, McLean, Reston, Annandale, Central Fairfax, Mount Vernon/Lee, Asian, Hispanic, etc.

The Task Force will begin meeting in the Government Center Conference Center on Thursday, May 15th. They have been asked to return to the Board of Supervisors with their recommendations by our meeting of June 17th, 2014.  These meetings will be public and you are welcome to follow the work of the task force. Meeting dates and summaries will be posted on the County's website.

2. Group Assembly and Noise Ordinance Proposals

Lastly, some exciting news, a new Farmers Market has begun operations at the Government Center on Thursday afternoons from May through October. See inside for more details! Beginning in July early evening concerts and wine tastings will return to the Government Center's "backyard" - Evenings on the Ellipse. Both the Farmers Markets and summer Concert Series are brought to you in locations throughout the county during spring and summer thanks to sponsorships from our generous corporate neighbors. I look forward to spending time with you during the warm weather months ahead!