Trejbal: Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg meals tax
History clouds the Tech meals tax dispute
Christian Trejbal
Trejbal is a Roanoke Times editorial writer. He is stationed at the paper’s New River Valley bureau.
Blacksburg and Virginia Tech remain at loggerheads over the town meals and lodging taxes. The town and a group of citizens rallying under the moniker “Play Fair Tech” ask that the school begin collecting the taxes. Tech insists that is not an option.
As happens in so many contentious debates, both sides think history supports their position. Tech partisans especially invoke decades-old documents that they say absolve the school of tax responsibility. Vice President for Communications Larry Hincker did so just last week on these pages. (“Tech contributes much to the community,” Feb. 20 commentary.)
The original sources paint a more nuanced picture that does not get Tech off the hook so easily.
Primary Source Documents
February 27, 2011 - 9:28 AM
A very informative and well written column Christian. Too bad Tech can’t follow UVA’s example and work with the Town on this issue. UVA has the reputation of being a highly principled, academically superior university, Tech should learn from them.