Column: Virginia Beach’s prepared meals tax must go

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As the holiday season approaches, Virginians may struggle to find issues that genuinely cut across political lines. Yet in Virginia Beach, one bipartisan concern stands out clearly: the city’s prepared meals tax.

Many residents still do not fully understand its impact. Virginia Beach imposes a 6% tax on all prepared meals on top of the existing 6% general sales tax. The result is a 12% tax on something as simple as picking up dinner for your family. As a restaurateur and lifelong resident, I can say with certainty that this policy harms restaurant operators, overburdens consumers and jeopardizes the livelihoods of nearly 100,000 hospitality workers in our community.

Virginia Beach is among the nation’s 50 largest cities, supported by a thrivi