Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Restaurant owners and residents urge council to reject proposed meals and boat tax hikes
Summary
At a April 22 public hearing on the proposed FY26 budget, restaurant owners, industry groups and residents urged Virginia Beach City Council to abandon or revise proposed increases to the restaurant meals tax and recreational boating tax, saying local businesses and low- and fixed-income residents would be harmed.
At a public hearing April 22, dozens of Virginia Beach residents and business owners urged City Council to abandon or revise proposed increases to the restaurant meals tax and a proposed tax on recreational boating included in the draft fiscal year 2026 budget.
Speakers said the restaurant industry is still recovering from the pandemic and faces rising food and labor costs that leave many establishments operating on thin margins. "Our restaurant nets 5% on a good year," said Amber Kaska, co‑owner of The Stock Pot. "With this proposed increase, the city of Virginia Beach will be making more off the restaurant than we will." Craig Leonard, a longtime restaurant operator,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
