Never get on Jim Bacon’s bad side. With word that Henrico county has spent over $20,000 on a web site touting the need for residents to impose a meals tax upon themselves, county nabobs have managed to get not only Jim’s attention, but raised his hackles, too:
As a Henrico resident opposed to the meals tax, I have a big problem with the county spending tax dollars to persuade citizens to raise taxes on themselves. It’s fine for the County Supervisors who approved the referendum to get out front and make the case to the public — on their own dime. It’s fine for pro-tax advocates to tap business groups, teachers unions or other private interests to raise the money to make their case. It’s even fine for Vithoulkas and Russo to attend community events and present their analysis. But I have a very big problem with county governments using tax dollars to propagandize for higher taxes.
If that is what, in fact, occurred, it is outrageous. It might even be illegal. Perhaps Bacon’s Rebellion readers know if such an expenditure violates state statutes. (If doesn’t, it should.)
Jim is holding back on his “thermonuclear” response, waiting first for the county to respond to his queries as to whether the taxpayers are, indeed, footing the bill for this campaign effort (and make no mistake, that is exactly what this expenditure is).
The last time the county put a meals tax on the ballot, the resident bureaucracy spent time and manpower trying to convince voters of its worthiness. Then, as now, the county manager also threatened that if the meals tax went down, property taxes would go up.
Do not be surprised, then, if it turns out the county is using taxpayer dollars — which it says it must have more of — to campaign on the tax measure’s behalf.
And for those of you living in Chesterfield county, look for your elected officials to use your tax dollars to advocate for their version of the meals tax as well.
