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Vienna’s proposed meals tax increase will stay out of the town manager’s upcoming budget after the Town Council postponed a vote for the third time, giving officials and residents more time to assess the cost of a new aquatics and fitness center.
The council agreed Jan. 27 to delay consideration until Aug. 25. The proposal would temporarily raise the tax on restaurant meals from 3% to 4% for 10 years, with the additional revenue dedicated to designing and constructing the facility.
Town Manager Mercury Payton is expected to present his proposed budget in early March without the tax increase.
Mayor Linda Colbert said the town needs to determine not only how it would pay for construction, but whether it could afford to maintain the center once it opens.
The facility is being considered for the vacant three-acre Annex property at 301 Center Street South. Vienna bought the former Faith Baptist Church site for $5.5 million in 2020, and it later served for about two years as the police department’s temporary headquarters.
Consultants Kimmel Bogrette Architecture and Kimley Horn recommended a public pool and fitness center after gathering community feedback. Their September 2024 report estimated the project would cost between $21 million and $26.5 million and attract 7,335 members from Vienna and nearby communities.
Council members initially supported opening the facility by 2030 but have grown more cautious about the expense. Vienna’s current budget totals $53.7 million.
Restaurant owners voiced concerns about the proposed tax increase during a November public hearing, while other residents supported the project. The council postponed its decision after that hearing and again on Dec. 9.
Councilmember Chuck Anderson said in December that officials needed firmer evidence the project was affordable. He said greater public support, possible capital contributions and more refined revenue and expense estimates could affect the council’s decision.
At a Jan. 21 work session, Kimmel Bogrette and recreation-facility consultant Ballard*King explained their projections in greater detail.
Their analysis estimated that 13.7%, or 5,482, of Vienna households would use the center, along with potential users among 36,419 households outside town but within a 10-minute drive.
The proposed membership structure would charge an adult Vienna resident $55 per month, or $660 annually. Nonresidents would pay higher rates. By comparison, an annual adult resident pass to Herndon’s community center, which includes a pool, costs $504.
Councilmember Roy Baldwin said waiting until August could be prudent because federal government upheaval had created economic uncertainty for residents and the town.
Vienna’s existing 3% meals tax, which applies to prepared, ready-to-eat food but not standard groceries, helps fund roads, building improvements, parks and other capital projects. Town officials say it is among the region’s lowest meals-tax rates.
Vienna previously used a temporary meals tax increase from 2002 through 2008 to finance the Town Green. If the new one-percentage-point increase is ultimately approved, the town plans to complete the aquatics and fitness center by 2030.