Update and correction: On February 18, the Board of County Supervisors approved an advertised tax rate on boats and trailers. On February 25, county staff were directed to advertise a tax rate of .00001 on boats and boat trailers. We previously reported that the advertised tax would have also applied to RVs.
An advertised tax rate is leading RV owners to reconsider storage options.
Last week, the Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) approved an advertised tax rate of $3.70 per $100 of value for boats and trailers.
Hampton’s Landing Marina in Woodbridge is already being impacted by it.
The effect of the advertised tax rate is extending to Holly Acres RV and Marine.
Located at 13270 Minnieville Road in Woodbridge, the business is completing an $8 million expansion project.
Owner Bill Garber had hoped to fill most of the 200 to 300 available spaces in the next couple of years — a goal he said won’t be reached.
“I’ve already had people — just from the mention of property taxes coming back to Prince William County — pulling out and leaving to go to other counties, where it’s going to be cheaper,” Garber said to What’s Up Prince William
If the county approves the tax rate, it could lead to layoffs at Holly Acres RV and Marine and cause 30 to 35 percent of RV storage customers to leave.
“One thing that they’re not doing is they’re not realizing what it’s going to cost to them — the repercussions,” Garber said. “They’re only looking at what little bit of revenue they think they’re going to get out of it.”
Holly Acres RV and Marine isn’t the only business that would be impacted.
“They’re not going to be down here using the gas stations to fuel up, the restaurants to get something to eat, the facilities that other businesses have — whether it’s a boat marina, or RV dealership, or a combination, or it’s a small mom [and] pop operation that does canvas work,” Garber explained. “This is going to be extremely devastating for what the county is going to gain.”
