Poll: Do You Support Vienna Meals Tax Hike To Fund Pool And Fitness Center?

VIENNA, VA — Now that the temporary meals tax hike proposal is back on the table, we want to know if Vienna residents have an appetite for it.

We are polling Vienna Patch readers about the temporary 1 percent meals tax increase proposed to fund an indoor pool and fitness center facility. The Vienna Town Council has deferred a decision on the temporary meals tax several times, most recently in January until Aug. 25.

Based on resident outreach by the town's parks and recreation, the pool and fitness center facility was identified as the top resident preference for 301 Center Street South, the former Faith Baptist Church building that the town purchased.

The pool and fitness center facility has not been formally approved as the future use of the annex property.

Town officials believe using meals tax revenue could accelerate the project more quickly than the town's normal capital budget process.

Vienna already has a 3 percent meals tax rate charged for prepared meals. The 1 percent temporary tax would sunset after 10 years. The town used a temporary meals tax addition from 2002 to 2008 to pay for the Vienna Town Green.

Fairfax County will implement its own meals tax starting on Jan. 1, 2026. The town government says Fairfax County's meals tax will not apply in the Town of Vienna.

More recently, Vienna Town Council directed town staff to prepare a framework for a capital fundraising campaign utilizing donors, which could supplement funding beyond meals tax revenue. The Vienna-headquartered Navy Federal Credit Union has offered to jumpstart the project by advancing initial design funds as an interest-free loan. In return, the credit union is seeking an institutional membership with a number of pool and fitness center memberships for its employees.

Let us know your opinion on the proposed meals tax hike, and feel free to share any additional comments in the poll.

Get The Latest Local News (For Free!) With One Quick Tap