A tax killed!

We must have a conference center! The future of the city depends on it!! This group that plans to build one says it will "move in another direction" if we don't pass a food and beverage tax to fund it!!!! And the state says the tax must be passed between Jan. 1 and July 31!!!! Hurry, hurry! hurry!!!!!!

Sadly, such tactics would probably work in this part of the state; but at least they're smarter than that in Richmond, for now:

Mayor Sally Hutton, reached at home at 10 p.m. Sunday, said she would have attorney Walt Chidester ask council Monday to table the measure in order to give council members time to get questions answered concerning the proposed tax.

It is the only item on tonight's agenda.

"Every corner we've turned there has been one more question," Hutton said. "We just think it's much more fair to council members to let them have all the facts in line before we bring this for a vote."

And guess what? That group that threatened to "move in another direction" if the tax weren't passed now says it's "not out of the picture." Of course not. The measure will come up again in January, and sonner or later, the group figures, it can just wear city officials down.