Board speaks to new video

STAFFORD — A new video on a popular Web site continues to spark debate among business owners and officials about taxes.

The video on YouTube can be found by simply typing “BPOL” into the search bar. When it appears, viewers see more than 10 minutes of edited video from the July 1 Stafford County Board of Supervisors' meeting that was originally broadcast on the county's cable television channel.

The video depicts “embarrassing highlights” from the meeting where Stafford's new Business and Professional Licensing tax was approved. Despite multiple pleas from business owners not to enact the controversial tax, the measure passed 4-3, with all three Republican members of the board voting against.

Democrats and the only Independent member of the board said the tax was necessary to pay for projects, such as road construction, parks and other projects approved by past boards. They also say the video is an unwarranted attack against them and is a distraction to the business of the county.

“It’s garbage. Somebody has tried to cut and edit and distort the facts into what they want them to be,” said Supervisor Bob Woodson, D- GriffisWidewater. The first-term supervisor said the board went out of its way to be sensitive to the needs of the business owners, but the residents have seen their property taxes steadily rise.

Woodson said he wants everyone to pay their fair share.

In the video Woodson was heckled by the audience when he made a mistake attempting to explain how the tax works. Supervisor Paul Milde, R-Aquia went on to tell the supervisor in the video he had no understanding of the tax but was willing to enact it.

At a North Stafford community meeting last week Milde told business owners to watch the video, which has garnered more than 2,300 views since July 17.

Milde said he was not the one responsible for producing the video, but said it is another tool to make people aware of what is happening in their community.

“The video speaks for itself and is a very good representation of what happened [at the July 1 meeting] when the tax passed,” said Milde.

The video also makes light of Supervisor Joe Brito, I-Hartwood, who originally voted not to implement the tax, but then rescinded and asked for a revote. Brito said he pushed the wrong button.

“You have to realize the board had been in session for over 14 hours by that time and at 3 a.m. you are not as alert as you are when the session begins,” said Brito.

Brito said it is time to move on from the BPOL tax debate and continue to work on issues that are facing the county, like the need for better reservoirs, road infrastructure and parks.

But he said it is impossible to shift focus to these issues as long as Republican board members continue their personal attacks, said Brito.

BPOL is a tax that is collected on businesses gross receipts, not net profits like conventional commercial taxes.

Under Stafford County's BPOL tax policy, receipts under $200,000 would be exempt from the tax.

Businesses with receipts less than the threshold will pay a $50 licensing fee to the county. The county will only charge half of the maximum rate allowed by the state and cap the total amount collected from a business to $150,000.

The tax will be collected in 2010.