Yesterday, Roanoke City Council passed an emergency measure to help offset the massive funding cuts being leveled by the state to aid the Roanoke City Public Schools for the next two years. This occurred in the form of a temporary 2% increase in the city's prepared food tax, and will raise more than $4 million per year over the next two years to protect such critical urban educational programs as summer school, Spanish for elementary students, and most importantly the maintenance of reasonable class sizes, among others.
Nobody likes to raise taxes. And without question reduced spending and targeted cuts should be undertaken. But it's important that we remember that we have made massive cuts, reducing spending last year by nearly $10 million (the schools cut nearly $5 million last year). Additionally, the city will cut another $10 million this year and the schools will cut an additional $5 million. To say that the city has not cut and reduced spending and seeks only to "tax and spend" is simply not true.
The future of our city, I'm convinced, is directly linked to the success of our schools. Adding $1 to a $50 meal, with the resulting revenue this will generate, is a small price to pay when looking towards the economic and social prosperity of Roanoke.
Council deserves kudos for the courage and foresight to make a very tough decision (the state limits our ability to make these sorts of local decisions) to temporarily raise the meals tax to stave off the devastation of our schools. It's a tough decision in the short-term but I believe, if approached correctly and with our planned marketing campaign, that our restaurants will benefit from increased support from residents who recognize that without a solid school system the future holds less promise. And as a temporary measure, the city and schools will have the opportunity/necessity to restructure how we conduct our affairs and find more efficient ways to deliver better outcomes for cheaper.
I know that there are many who hear the word "tax" and automatically oppose it. I understand this philosophy, but I don't believe that it leads to good government. And when it comes to education, sometimes we have to make the tough decisions that make our long-term future that much more promising.
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3 comments:
I have no problem with a 2% tax increase on the meals tax to help our City's schools.. I do feel it is important to mention that I do not have children in school and am not looking to have children who will be entering school.. Why should I be burdeoned with this tax increase? I'm taxed presently for City services that continue to be less and less.. Just a little discouraged here.. Our city administration and Council should have been preparing for times like this years ago !!
Hi Court. Thank you very much for your hard work and for looking out for our schools. Like the previous comment, I am biased, but for the other side. i DO have kids in the schools and I am glad someone is looking for ways to close the budget gap we face. Is the tax ideal? Heck no. But I think it is a necessary step and I'm glad you worked so diligently.
My blog, vaperspectives.blogspot.com, addresses the new meals tax and offers an opinion. Feel free to check it out!
Anonymous,
Thank you for commenting on my blog. I completely hear and understand what you're saying. I guess I would respond that you pay taxes that provide services that you don't use all the time. For example, you may not ever use Valley Metro but some of your tax money helps pay for it. I would also say that when someone lives in a community, children or not, you participate in paying for the education of the children in the city. It's just how it has always worked.
Tim,
I will check out your blog and appreciate your positive comments.
Court
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