Conversation With The County Board Chairman
Yesterday, ARLnow reported on the “small business ‘listening session’” held by the chairman of the Arlington County Board at the Clarendon Ballroom with more than 50 “business owners.” It was one of several sessions “to make Arlington business-friendly.” ARLnow reported:
“Among the things business owners liked about doing business in Arlington were the friendly personal interactions with county employees, the frequent county programs that teach you how to create a business plan, and the relative ease of running a home-based business. As expected, however, complaints far out-numbered compliments.
“There was discussion of the advantages larger businesses have over smaller businesses when trying to navigate the county’s regulations and talk of loosening regulations preventing small businesses from participating in certain citizen-oriented programs. By and large, however, the discussion focused on three areas: clarity and accessibility of information, taxes and fees, and the county’s controversial sign ordinance.”
ARLnow’s headline reported the major topics as taxes and the sign ordinance. Although there was more talk about the “much-maligned” sign ordinance, here’s what ARLnow reported about taxes:
“Taxes and fees were another lively topic of discussion. Business owners lamented that they’re charged fees for business licenses based on their gross revenue, rather than on their profits. That puts large, low-profit-margin businesses at a disadvantage, some said. Business owners also decried the various increases in taxes and fees levied over the past couple of years.
“Sometimes it feels like as an Arlington business, we’re the ATM machine for Arlington County,” the owner of a small grocery store said. Other business owners specifically criticized Arlington’s business tangible property tax, which forces businesses to pay a percentage of the value of their computers, furniture and other business property. While every locality in Virginia has the tax, business owner said it actually discourages investment — a “disincentive to do the right thing.” (emphasis added)
ATM for Arlington County, eh? It’s not just Arlington businesses that should feel that way. Most of the five panjandrums see all of Arlington taxpayers that way.