Play Fair Tech

Here are five reasons Virginia Tech should collect the same taxes from campus visitors that Blacksburg businesses do:

1. All of Virginia’s 15 four-year public universities — except Virginia Tech — reimburse the local community for meals and lodging.
2. More than 110 restaurants in Blacksburg collect the meal tax, but the 23 restaurants and franchises on campus do not.
3. The Hotel Roanoke collects a lodging tax, but the Inn at Virginia Tech does not.
4. Collected taxes would help the Town of Blacksburg maintain its high quality of life and keep it safe, clean, and beautiful for all members of our community.
5. All student meal plans are tax exempt and should remain that way.

To learn more, stop by our booth at Steppin’ Out near the Market Square Park and Farmers Market on Friday and Saturday. You can also sign our petition there or at one of many local businesses that support our cause.

BLACKSBURG — July 21, 2010 — A group of Blacksburg citizens and business owners has launched a campaign to urge Virginia Tech to collect local meals taxes and occupancy taxes. The group has placed petitions in local businesses and is distributing bumper stickers bearing the slogan “Play Fair, Tech.” Restaurants in Blacksburg pay a 6 percent tax on all sales, and all hotels and motels charge a 7 percent lodging tax. But Virginia Tech does not collect either of these taxes at its restaurants, dining halls or at the Inn at Virginia Tech.

The Play Fair Tech campaign maintains that the effective tax-exemption gives establishments on campus an unfair advantage over businesses in town, and denies the Town deserved revenues. “Virginia Tech and the Town of Blacksburg must work together to ensure that our community remains a great place to live with first-rate amenities and services,” said Michael Sutphin, a member of the group’s steering committee. “Although all of our community’s visitors benefit from town services, only those who eat or sleep off campus pay for them.”

The group has made it clear that they are not calling for the meals tax to be applied to student meal plans, but only to cash and credit card sales at campus dining halls.

A recent study conducted by the Town of Blacksburg suggests that the collection of these taxes on campus could yield an additional $200,000 annually for the town. But the group and its supporters emphasize that the amount is not as important as upholding the spirit of fair play. Mike Soriano, who owns Champs Sportsbar & Café, Awful Arthur’s, Wikiteria Market & Café, and Firehouse Pizza in Blacksburg, is also supporting the campaign. “It’s not the dollar amount that matters, but the principle of fair play that is essential for a united community,” said Soriano.

Virtually every other public college or university in Virginia collects the local meals tax on campus. And Virginia Tech collects the 5 percent sales tax on all cash and credit card food sales on campus.

The campaign’s immediate goal is to gather as many petition signatures as possible from Blacksburg residents, business owners, employees and students of Virginia Tech, and alumni. In the process, it hopes to inform the community of this issue and plan further action.

Dear Blacksburg Community Member:

As you may already know, a group of concerned citizens and business owners established the Play Fair Tech campaign in March to convince Virginia Tech to collect local taxes on campus. For decades, the university has declined to collect the Town of Blacksburg’s 6 percent meal tax and 7 percent lodging tax on campus, putting our local government and local restaurants and hotels at a disadvantage.

We believe that collecting the local taxes on non-meal plan purchases would help Blacksburg maintain its high quality of life and provide critical services to keep our community safe, clean, and beautiful, and we are asking for your help to make this happen.

If you own a local restaurant or hotel, a grassroots organizer from our campaign has either stopped by our place of business to deliver petitions or will do so shortly. We are asking that you show your support by signing the petition and provide an opportunity for your patrons to do so as well. After we reach a critical mass of signatures and support for our cause, we will take our petitions and an open letter to Virginia Tech administrators to urge them to work with the town to settle this matter.

If you have any questions about the campaign or would like to volunteer to help, visit www.playfairtech.com or send a message to our steering committee at playfairtech@gmail.com. We look forward to working together to even the playing field in Blacksburg.

Sincerely,

The Play Fair Tech Committee