Charity Laps, Boulevard Burger, and BPOL Thresholds
Cheers RVA!
Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 61, with light wind. The evening cools down to a low of 41.
the pulp:
Richmond Raceway is set to host track laps for charity tomorrow evening, via the Henrico Citizen. For a $20 donation drivers can drive five laps around the track at a top speed of 55 mph. The event runs from 5 - 7 pm Wednesday evening, and proceeds benefit the Autism Society of Central Virginia
A new Chick-Fil-A is opening Thursday in Henrico, near the intersection of Nine Mile Road and North Laburnum.
Boulevard Burger has closed indefinitely to repair the front windows that were damaged after a driver crashed into the building Friday evening.
Another mayoral forum will be held tonight. The “Citizens Debate” will be held at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture at 7:00 pm, and streamed live on channel 6 and the WTVR website and app.
Sarah Vogelsong from the Richmonder dives into the School Board race for the 2nd district. Both candidates have served on Parent Teacher Associations, with incumbent Mariah White being challenged by Katie Ricard.
the dive:
Jonathon Spiers from Bizsense does a Q&A with mayoral candidate Andreas Addison, the first of a five-part series (presumably).
I found this particular mayoral interview in depth and detail specific.
On the question of addressing rising property tax assessments and tax relief for small business, Addison responds:
– shift to Land Value Tax. In 2020, I worked with Rep. McClellan (then-Senator Jennifer McClellan) to pass legislation allowing Richmond to adopt a Land Value Tax (LVT) model that shifts our focus from taxing buildings to taxing land value itself. This revenue model is a smarter, more equitable approach that ensures Richmond grows responsibly — without displacing residents or stifling development;
– raise the BPOL threshold. As mayor, I will raise the BPOL threshold to $1,000,000 and decrease the current BPOL tax rate ($0.58/$100) until it matches the regional rate of ($0.20/$100). I raised the Business Professional Occupational License (BPOL) tax threshold from $100,000 to $250,000 to support Richmond’s smallest business owners. More than 50% of businesses that paid BPOL taxes in 2023 did not have to pay in 2024;
– decrease real estate tax and provide a rebate. Decrease the real estate tax rate by 2-cents from $1.20 to $1.18 per $100 of assessed property value and provide a 2-cent rebate for lower-income residents.
Read the full interview here.
the vibe:
Have a brisk day RVA!
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