Loudoun was on track Tuesday to vote down a proposed meals tax for the third time since 1992, with 70 percent of voters opposing the measure after 94 percent of the county’s precincts reported. The tax was one of several notable initiatives to appear on local ballots in Maryland and Northern Virginia.
The proposal would have increased taxes on certain prepared foods by 4 percent and was projected to raise $13 million in revenue to be earmarked for the county’s public schools.
Some opponents of the measure argued it would unfairly strain small businesses during a difficult economic time.
“Thirteen million is the same amount raised from the fees for recordation and wills — so they got you coming and going — they want to tax you to eat and then when you die and stop eating they tax you again,” said Patricia Phillips, co-founder of the Loudoun Coalition Against the Food Tax, at a press conference Oct. 28 in Lansdowne.
The results on two local ballot questions in Montgomery County remained unclear at press time. Voters favored a measure to repeal “legally ineffective” sections of the county charter regulating waste disposal in residential zones and phone service offered by C&P Telephone by a 2/3 margin, with about half the precincts reporting. The county was also voting on a measure to require a unanimous council vote to increase property taxes that would generate revenue above an existing annual limit. The measure was narrowly favored at press time with half the precincts reporting.
Prince George’s was on track to reject an 8 to 11 percent increase in a telecommunications tax. About 70 percent of the voters opposed the measure, with just under half of precincts reporting. The tax would have raised an estimated $27 million annually to be used for county public schools.
