Citizen Portal
Sign In

Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!

Board opens public hearing on admissions tax; residents warn of affordability impacts

James City County Board of Supervisors · May 13, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

County staff outlined options for a new admissions tax permitted by state law, and residents urged caution, arguing the levy would fall on local attendees and compound recent tax increases. Board members asked for options and coordination with York County and directed staff to return with details.

James City County staff opened a public hearing May 20 on a possible admissions tax now available under state law, outlining potential taxable activities, exclusions and a recommended July 1 effective date if approved.

Sharon McCarthy told the board the statute permits a tax up to 10% and counties can craft exclusions or caps; staff recommended earmarking revenue for debt service or capital purposes. Examples of taxable activities include…

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
30-day money-back on paid plans