TAZEWELL COUNTY, Va. – Leaders in Tazewell County are proposing a 6% prepared meals tax on bills at restaurants outside of incorporated areas in the county.
Restaurants like Fisher & Company and Cuz’s Uptown Barbecue in Tazewell County would fall under the new tax for customers. Funding from the proposed tax would go towards improving equipment for first responders.
“Our board is committed to spending these funds for first responders. We will buy sheriff’s vehicles. We have a leasing program through Enterprise. Then with fire trucks we’re going to try to renew our fleet. Most of our fleet is 25 to 20 years old and we’re going to try and upgrade that as well,” said Eric Young, Tazewell County Administrator.
Young says funds from the proposed new tax would also help the county pay paramedics in the county more as they try and stay competitive in the field.
“One of the reasons our board is interested in this tax is to some extent it’s voluntary unlike our other taxes. You don’t necessarily have to go out to eat. Also it gives us an opportunity to tax people that don’t live here,” said Young.
Barry Brooks, the director of public safety for the county says the potential meals tax would prove extremely valuable for the fire departments in the county.
Brooks says right now each department only has around $23,000 each to work with for the whole year. About half of that funding is provided by the state for training and equipment but not usable for necessities like gas for fire trucks or electricity for fire stations.
“A lot of it falls back on what they do personally. I’ve seen them take money out of their own pocket to make something work at the fire station,” said Brooks. “They’re volunteering their time, we need to make sure they have all of the equipment that they need to safely go in and do the job.”
The proposed tax has already had one public reading and is scheduled to have another reading on April 8 at 6:45 pm. After the second reading the meals tax is able to be adopted.
Young says if the proposed tax is approved, the county is expecting it to generate around a million dollars per year.
Copyright 2025 WVVA. All rights reserved.