Minutes 08/10/1965 - Laserfiche WebLink

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21 On motion of Mr. Leafy, referred to a conference. 65-212 - The following letter from Norma. n Olitsky, Atto~ney, was read: "I do hereby respectfully request on behitf of Mr. Gabriel Kavadias of Irwin's Pharmacy, Deen Creek Boulevard and Elliott Avenue, Portsmouth, Virginia, an opportunity to soeak before the Portsmouth City Council at its first meeting in August of 1965, in ~e~ardS ~0 ~he ~a~sr !~ on drugs and prescriptions." Motion of Mr. Dillon to suspend the rules to hear ~. Kavadias~-waso~dop~d. ~4r. Kavadias spoke regarding the elimination of sales tax on prescription drugs, and presented the following; which was, on morion of Mr. Knight, referred 5o a conference of Council: "I wish to call to your attention the incongruity of the recently applied city sales tax on prescription medicine. In recent years the drug industry has made every effort to cut the cost of drugs to the consumer. U. S. Department of Commerce statistics show that prescription drug orices have actually declined 13.8% since 1949. Had drug prices increased at the s~me rate as all other co~noditees listed by the Department, prescription drugs wou~d cost the consumer 70% more today than they did in 1949. Irwins Prescription Center has kept in sten with this trend by keeping its prices on maintenance drugs below the accppted level Suggested by manufacturers. The dispensing of drugs is a p~ofessional service, just as the practice of medicine and dentistry, and is universally acceoted as such. The same exacting standards are orescribed by law for the oractice of pharmacy. These professions are exempt from sales taxation in nractic~lly every part of the nation. We need go no farther than the adjacent city of Chesapeake to find th~s to be true. I would like to point out that ours is a professional aoothecary in everysense of the word. We have no soda fountain or cosmetic counter--omr=sole profession is dispemsing drugs, and as such we are rendering professional services which we strongly feel should be excluded from this tax for the same reason that physicians and dentists services are excluded. Illness creates the greatest hardshin on 1~ income families, b%en loss of income is accompanied by medical and hospital Bills the financial burden is often greater than many families can bea~. Almost without e~ception, drugs are necessary to restore a person to ~ood health, and this, of course, is another ex?ense. And then there is the elderly person, quite often on nension who must periodically take maintenance drugs in order to retain his health. Those of you who may know a pensioned person are aware of the importance of only a few pennies to their budget. For these measons I strongly urge you to cmnsider immediate repeal of this unwarranted sales tax on prescriptions." 65-213 - Motion of Mr. Knight that the meeting of City Council scheduled for September 14, 1965, be held on September 7, 1965, to avoid conflict with annual convention of the Virginia League of ~ni~ipalities, was adopted, without dissenting vote. 65-214 - Motion of Mr. Eastes that the Planning Commission be requested to study and recommend as to the possibility of rezoning petition Z 62-15 [Darpino) back to its previous classification, since the improvements described in the site plan submitted, have not been made, was ad~pted, without dissenting vote. 65-215 - Motion of Mr. Johnson to refer to the City Manager and City Attorney the q~estion of preparing an ordinance regulating traffic and maintaining order around drive-in restaurants in the City, was adopted, without dissenting~vote. 65-~16 - Motion of Mr. Dillon that a'study be made of the possibility of an increase in retirement comDensation for city employees, especially those in the Civil Service category, was adopted, without dissentin~ vote. Referred ro a conference of Council. 65-217 - Motion o~ Mr. Johnson that a study of the City Charter be made before the next session of the State Legislature, in order that needed changes may be s~ggested to our Repmesenzatives, and that the matter be referred to a conference of Council, was adopted, withouf dissenting vote. On motion adjourned. Approved - City Clerk.