Election 2016: Meals Tax + More Also on the Ballot Tuesday

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- You won't just be voting for president on Election Day. If you live in Fairfax County, you will also be asked to vote "yes" or "no" on a meals tax and three other measures. State Sen. Scott Surovell recently penned a column, weighing in on two proposed constitutional amendments that will also be on the ballot. Read Surovell's "Your 2016 Ballot: Yes for Widows, No for 'Right to Work" here.

Here are the details of the Fairfax County proposals:

Meals tax: For the purpose of reducing dependence on real estate taxes, shall the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, Virginia, be authorized to levy a tax on prepared food and beverages, otherwise known as a meals tax, as allowed by Virginia Code § 58.1-3833, at a rate not to exceed four percent (4%) of the amount charged for prepared food and beverages (which, based upon state law, is applicable only to sales outside of the town of Clifton, and towns of Herndon and Vienna that have already implemented a meals tax)? The revenues generated shall be dedicated to the following purposes:

1. 70 percent of the net revenues to Fairfax County Public Schools.
2. 30 percent of the net revenues to County services, capital improvements and property tax relief.

YES
NO

In the Nov. 8, 2016, general election, Fairfax County voters will be asked to vote YES or NO on three individual bond questions that total $312 million:

• Parks and Park Facilities: $107 million
• Human Services and Community Development: $85 million
• Transportation: $120 million

Parks and Park Facilities: The $107 million is intended to fund the Park Authority's capital needs ($94.7 million) and sustain the county's capital contribution to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority ($12.3 million), including:

• Land acquisition and open space preservation to ensure adequate parkland for future generations
• New park development
• Park renovation and upgrades for aging facilities
• Natural and cultural resource stewardship
• Restore, renovate and modernize existing NVRPA facilities, many of which were developed or constructed more than 20 years ago

Human Services and Community Development: The $85 million is intended to:

• Replace the Sully Senior Center and a build new Lorton Community Center ($37 million)
• Renovate, expand or replace four emergency shelters for people who are homeless: Patrick Henry, Embry Rucker, Eleanor Kennedy, and Bailey’s ($48 million)

Transportation: The $120 million is intended to fund for the next four years the county's share of Metro's capital improvement program that includes:

• Safety and system maintenance projects
• New rail cars and power upgrades for running eight car train
• Additional buses for operating Priority Corridor Networks
• Rail station improvements to increase the capacity of the rail system infrastructure

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