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Tourism
From Page A1
and Madison’s gentry deal with an identity crisis after reluctantly admitting their first McDonald’s restuarant, Rappahannock is taking steps to maintain and capitalize on its rural atmosphere.
Mr. McCarthy says Rappahannock has few competitive advantages when it comes to attracting large corporations — a fact that has turned out to be a positive for the county.
“We have no highways, no 'railroad, no prime industrial sites — unlike Warrenton and Culpeper. We have to reach for ' what we can get^ hasaidi
And while some might lament its lack of commercially attractive sites or its distance from more populated areas, Mr. McCarthy said those are the very qualities that have enabled Rappahannock to escape the crushing tax burden faced by property owners in bedroom communities throughout Northern Virginia where real estate taxes are the main source of revenue to fund expensive school systems.
The county’s commitment to tourism is evidenced largely in the form of business-friendly practices such as the lack of business license fees or meals and lodginig taxes according to Mr. McCarthy. Tourism has played a large role in what he termed the county’s “healthy” financial picture.
“Thankfully, we do not have any big ticket items looming ahead. One of the reasons for that is that we haven’t become a bedroom community. We are one of the few jurisdictions that can say we have no unfunded debt and no unfunded capital
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