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Martinsville adopts 2026 legislative agenda, prioritizes a voter‑approved 1% sales tax for school construction
Summary
Council approved a narrowed 2026 legislative agenda that elevates a proposed 1% local sales tax (penny tax) for school capital as the top priority and keeps housing, code enforcement and state repair funding among key priorities; staff will submit the package to the city’s General Assembly delegation.
Martinsville City Council voted on Nov. 18 to adopt a streamlined 2026 legislative agenda focused on school construction funding and regional priorities.
City staff explained the six‑category draft and the edits made in the work session. The council removed city charter revisions from the top tier, elevated significant investments in education to the number‑one priority and retained items to increase affordable housing stock and strengthen local code enforcement. "The number 1 priority... is going to be the dedicated 1% sales tax for school funding," staff told the council, explaining that the proposed local 1% (a "penny tax") would be subject to a voter referendum and dedicated to school construction and capital improvements.
The agenda also directs staff to pursue (a) Virginia School Construction Assistance Program support, (b) teacher recruitment and retention strategies, (c) dedicated funding for school resource officers and (d) expanded career and technical education funding. Additional areas of concern retained in the agenda include expanded state funding for state of good repair (sidewalks, road repairs), advocacy for transportation funding to reach smaller localities, and support for full allocation of state aid for municipal police staffing and programs.
Councilors discussed the strategic choice to keep the list short to improve legislative traction and agreed to transmit the amended agenda to the city’s delegate and the Virginia General Assembly for consideration.
