Nottoway officials are considering a County tax on cigarettes and possibly prepared meals. The possible moves would effect only establishments outside of the incorporated towns that already tax cigs. and meals.
Supervisor Dicky Ingram raised the cigarette tax at a Board work session last Thursday night. “We can’t tax alcohol,” he said. “The only thing we’ve got out in the country, outside of towns, would be a cigarette tax.”
Blackstone began taxing cigarettes at 22¢ per pack in 2008, and that rate hasn’t changed. The Town makes about $90,000 annually from that tax.
Supervisor Bo Toth said taxing cigarettes would hurt country stores. “Dalton’s (Pit Stop Convenience) wouldn’t sell no more cartons of cigarettes to Bo Toth. It’s $83 a carton at Dalton’s, it’s 83 pennies at WaWa.”
Ingram said he was only making a suggestion and that he’s heard the County “might make $15,000 to $20,000” annually from such a tax.
Toth said he’d vote against it not because of his own habit but “to help them convenience stores selling cigarettes.”
Board Chairman Bill Collins noted that a number of country stores also sell prepared food. “We could have a food (meals) tax.”
County Administrator Steve Bowen recalled that Nottoway Lanes was selling prepared food before it shut down three years ago. Supervisor John Roark noted that Spainville Store was, too, before fire earlier this year.
Supervisor Bo Toth asked if County Line Market, located on Rt. 460 near the Nottoway- Prince Edward line, is located in Prince Edward or Nottoway County. Toth asked Administrator Bowen not to respond “because you might incriminate yourself.”
“Prince Edward, brother,” Bowen replied.
Bowen was a four-term Supervisor who resigned from office in 2023 after it was revealed that his home — where he had lived his entire time while serving on the Nottoway Board — is located in Prince Edward County.
Supervisor Daphne Norton called for more research on potential revenue before moving forward. “We need to find out how much we THINK it would generate. Is it worth it?”
Supervisor Norton also asked who would take care of paperwork and collections.
Adminstrator Bowen said the Treasurer. “I mean, that’s what they do. They collect taxes, right?”
Chairman Collins noted that the County already collects sales tax. “It’s just a separate type of tax.”
County Attorney Gary Elder explained how a meals tax works. He said a restaurant where meals tax is charged simply collects the tax from patrons, holds it in escrow, and remits the tax monthly. If the establishment presents the tax on time, it receives a discount.
Blackstone enacted a meals tax in 1990 at 4%. It’s current rate of 6.5% was established in 2008. Crewe’s meals tax is 7.0%, while Burkeville’s is 5.5%.
Supervisor Norton said, “We just need to see if it’s worth it.
Collins agreed, noting that a new tax or taxes could require additional staff hours.
Toth jokingly said he appreciates Ingram’s tax suggestion. “Mr. Ingram is trying to protect our salary, you know — creating a way where we’re going to be paid and keep our money.”
Supervisors agreed to have County staff research the issue and conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
Local tax referendums in Nottoway County have a history of failure.
A Nottoway County meals tax referendum in 1989 failed, 2,075-to-1,701.
Supervisors tried it again in 1990 — after the towns adopted meals taxes of their own earlier that year — and the measure failed again, 1,198-to-935.
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