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Issue Summary and Background
Virginia Tech has declined to collect the Town of Blacksburg’s 6 percent meal tax and 7 percent lodging tax on campus for decades, putting our local government and local restaurants and hotels at a disadvantage. Collecting local taxes on non-meal plan purchases would help the Town of Blacksburg maintain its high quality of life and provide critical services to keep it safe, clean, and beautiful for all members of our community. In fact, all of Virginia’s 15 four-year public universities—except Virginia Tech—reimburse the local community for meals and lodging.

Action Requested
We urge Virginia Tech to collect the same taxes from campus visitors that other restaurants and hotels collect from their patrons. Although we do not believe that Tech students and employees should pay taxes on their meal plans, we do want the university to collect the meal tax on food and beverages at athletic events on campus, arrange for Hilton Hotels to collect the meal and lodging tax at the Inn at Virginia Tech, and have Tech’s dining facilities collect the meal tax on cash and credit purchases.

Steering Committee
Stephen Doyle II
Kay Kay Goette
Michael Hudson
Ann Linden