Fairfax County considers controversial food tax amid $300 million budget shortfall

WJLA

By Nick Minock

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — Your breakfast, lunch, and dinner bill may go up in Fairfax County if the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors moves forward with implementing a food tax which many people in the restaurant industry oppose.

“This would be a permanent tax on food which I think is the last thing you want to tax,” Gary Cohen, with Glory Days Grill, told 7News.

This would apply to all sit-down restaurants and fast-food restaurants, but also supermarket buffets, gas station hot dogs, and even sushi made at the grocery store.

“I think it’s just crazy,” Waria Salhi, co-owner of Mezeh Mediterranean Grill said about the food tax proposal. “It’s not a very reasonable idea at this time especially when every cost went up. We are paying high rent, utilities is up, food cost up, labor is up, credit card processing is up, banking is up, [and] finances is up. And now we are going to get hit with this up to 6% additional? We are already paying 6%. When customers walk into the store, they’re already paying a 6% tax to the state. Now, Fairfax is thinking of adding 6%; that will make it 12% on the bill and that will make it very unaffordable for our residents.”

On Tuesday morning, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors again discussed implementing a food and beverage tax.

“I know that those meals taxes are all over the Commonwealth of Virginia, in very, very different places from Arlington County on down,” said Supervisor James Bierman.

Fairfax County voters rejected a food a beverage tax twice at the ballot box.

“Voters rejected this twice, so why are you open to this food tax?” 7News Reporter Nick Minock asked Supervisor Kathy Smith.

“Because we need to diversify revenue, and I tend to have when I’m through these processes, I keep an open mind,” answered Smith.

Fairfax County Chair Jeff McKay and the board started talking about implementing a food tax when Fairfax County had a $240 million surplus in 2024. Right now, Fairfax County is facing a nearly $300 million budget shortfall.

Cohen said if the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passes a food tax, restaurants will have to raise their prices which will impact servers, bartenders, cooks, and customers.

“People have already started eating less, it shows in our numbers,” said Cohen. “I understand the government has a budget problem. I also think they have a spending problem.”

Tim Norton, with Great American Restaurants, said a food tax will hurt senior citizens and single parents living on fixed incomes.

“I was in Arlington County when they did implement the meals tax, and I had to explain to senior citizens that lived on fixed incomes, how am I supposed to afford to go out eat? The answer is, you can’t,” added Norton. “The single parents that are picking up roast chickens from the grocery store to feed their kids, or, you know, when parents work day versus night, their two shifts cross at night, they’re picking up meals and trying to get fast food for their family. It’s not fair to do that to people, and it’s just, as Gary said, they have a spending problem. They need to learn to balance the budget and stop taxing people. We don’t want it. We’ve said we don’t want it. They just don’t listen.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Fairfax County set up several new signs in an attempt to prevent the public from going near Fairfax County Chair Jeff McKay and county supervisors.

The signs say, “no unauthorized public access beyond this point.”

The signs were put up after 7News Reporter Nick Minock went up to McKay at a recent meeting and asked McKay questions about what is the county going to do to protect women and children who say they saw a male sex offender expose himself in female locker rooms at county rec centers. McKay didn’t answer Nick’s questions and walked away to avoid the questions.

On Tuesday, 7News asked the county about the new signs. A county spokesperson said Fairfax County continually reviews facility access and building security plans to ensure the safety of the public and staff. The county spokesperson told 7News that this is the first time they have used the signs and the county will be using the signs at meetings going forward.