VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Members of the Virginia Beach City Council have deferred the motion to add a tax on plastic bags until December.
On Tuesday, the city council voted 8-1 to defer the vote on the plastic bag matter to December 6.
Residents were previously given the opportunity to weigh in on the proposal to charge people 5 cents per plastic bag they use at grocery and convenience stores as well as pharmacies. Of that, a cent would go to the business and four of the cents would go to the city to use for environmental purposes, like helping distribute reusable bags in underserved communities.
The council also voted during its July 5 meeting to defer the vote after a report is made to better evaluate the possibility and get more input on how the city would enact the law.
The proposal is aimed at keeping the bags out of waterways. Advocates say the bags often wind up in the water and are eaten by wildlife, particularly turtles, which can harm them. Some residents support the idea, while others say it's not the moment to tack on another tax for Virginians bearing the weight of inflation.
If adopted, it would go into effect in Jan. 2023.
