Whether to move forward with establishing a cigarette tax in Buena Vista is to be a topic of discussion for City Council at its next regular meeting on Aug. 7. A preview of that discussion took place at Council’s meeting last week as three members shared their thoughts on the subject and a candidate for mayor aired his views.
What Council will be considering next month is a recommendation from Council’s budget and finance committee to establish a tax of 25 cents per pack that would take effect Jan. 1. The FY26 budget Council approved this past spring is predicated on the tax generating $50,000 in the second half of the fiscal year.
If Council opts to not move forward with this tax, it will have to either reduce spending in the current budget by $50,000 or find another source of revenue that would generate this amount of money.
During the citizens comments portion of last week’s meeting, Jesse Lineberry, a candidate for mayor, criticized the proposed tax as targeting the “bad habit” of one segment page 4 of society. “It’s immoral to think that somebody’s habit is taxable. And to me it shows laziness. If that’s the best thing we can do if we need money and say, ‘All right, well let’s pick that group right over there. That’s who we’re gonna get today.’” Lineberry said it would hurt Buena Vista businesses who are now benefitting from the city being the only local jurisdiction without the tax. Rockbridge County and Lexington both have cigarette taxes of 25 cents per pack.
Michelle Poluikis, a member of the budget and finance committee, said the tax is not intended to penalize or punish any group of people. She said she was a smoker years ago but was motivated to quit when her son’s kindergarten teacher told him about the negative effects of smoking.
“To prove to my son that I really cared, I decided right then and there to quit,” she recalled. “I was not planning that at that time. I will tell you, quitting allowed me to buy new living room furniture. And back then it was only a dollar a pack. So it might actually be financially beneficial for some families if they see it this way.”
Stanley Coffey said he quit smoking 30 years ago but that he agrees with Lineberry about not wanting to tax the bad habit of one sector of society. “I know people that love every cigarette that they smoke. And when they go ahead and pay $110 for a carton of cigarettes today, you know, they gonna buy it. They don’t mind. It’s not gonna matter.” A lot of people come into town from the county and Lexington to buy cigarettes because they’re cheaper here, he said, “But they also buy other stuff in these stores.”
Ron Cash said he doesn’t want “additional taxes any more than anyone else … but we shouldn’t forget that tobacco is a burden on society. Now, there’s obviously an economic benefit to it. It’s big business. It generates a lot of money in Richmond … However, secondhand smoke does have its downside and has negative consequences for folks who are subjected to secondhand smoke. But the burden on the healthcare industry due to tobacco is enormous, absolutely enormous. And that cost is not relegated just to those who smoke … that cost of tobacco in the health care industry is leveled across everybody who receives health care.”
Looking ahead to the Aug. 7 meeting when Council will decided whether or not to move forward with the tax, Cooper said, “So, our homework is to carefully go through this [the materials in their agenda about the proposed cigarette tax]. And then come back with questions and discuss at our next meeting. … look at this, think about it, read through it, get with your peers, your constituents, [be prepared.]” If Council does decide to move forward with the tax, a public hearing and a vote on a proposed ordinance would likely take place in September.
