Buckle Up, Virginia Beach. City Hall Mid-Wits Are Coming For Your Money.

I tossed former Virginia Beach Councilman, John Moss,  a multiple choice question when I talked to him yesterday: Is the proposed Virginia Beach budget better, worse or about the same as what we’ve come to expect from the fools at City Hall?

“Worse,” he replied. “I’d say much worse. “

Due to unexpected windfalls in the real estate assessments and state funds, every person in Virginia’s largest city ought to get a tax break this year, Moss said.

Dare to dream, suckers.

The city is hiking taxes again. Taxpayers are getting fleeced. But at least we’re getting a new wave park.

As usual, expect local pols to lie about what they’re doing

No doubt they’ll try to gaslight the public again by bragging that they “didn’t raise property taxes,” this year.

Not true.

When assessments go up an average of 5.9% citywide and the rate stays the same, virtually every property owner in the city will see a big fat increase in real estate taxes.

Remember, property taxes are assessed on unearned income. They hit senior citizens and others on fixed income the hardest. Especially those who have lived in older parts of the city for decades, watching their property values and taxes soar while their incomes stasgnate.

It’s a regressive tax and ought to be revamped.

Then again, residential real estate taxes are a piggy bank for fat cats at City Hall who don’t care about locals being priced out of their homes.

One of the most painful taxes is the city’s so-called meals tax, a surcharge larded on top of sales taxes and slapped on every morsel of prepared food in the city.

Buy a sub at Wawa, you’ll pay a 12% tribute to the government. Buy a salad at Kroger, same thing. Grocery store sushi? Yep, add 12%.

This latest hike in the meals tax makes Virginia Beach the second-most expensive large city for dining out in the country. According to the Tax Foundation, only Minneapolis has a higher tariff. That city, deep in Tim Walzland, adds 12.03% to every meal. We’re so close!

Baltimore, Detroit and Louisville assess some of the lowest taxes, just 6% on meals. Surprisingly, Portland has no tax on prepared food.

Now that’s a leftie city that seems to value its restaurants and wait staffs.

“When you have such a steep meals tax lots of people simply stop eating out,” Moss said. “When people do go out do you know where they cut back?”

“On the tip.”

Ouch.

Just as President Trump has proposed making tips tax-free, the mid-wits at Virginia Beach’s City Hall have figured out how to make sure tips ant the Beach are anemic.

Smart

If you want to know more about the pain that’s coming your way, tune into “The Mike and Kerry Show” at 7:30 this morning on Talk Radio 96.5, 850 WTAR or listen online at WTAR.com.

John Moss will be on the air with us to explain it all.