Wythe County staff outline November referendum for 1% sales tax to fund $70M+ in school projects

County Administrator Stephen D. Bear presented details of a proposed 1% local-option sales tax that, if approved by Wythe County voters, would fund school capital projects estimated at over $70 million.

Bear told the board the tax would be dedicated by Virginia law to capital construction and related debt service and would not be available for school operations. "If approved by voters, the proposed 1% local option sales tax would be dedicated by Virginia law to these eligible capital projects," Bear said, and staff estimated that roughly 40% of the local sales-tax revenue would come from non-resident purchases because of interstate traffic through the county.

Staff materials outlined projects that could be funded: construction of a new Spiller Elementary, renovations at Fort Chiswell High School, athletic-facility improvements and ongoing facility repairs. The presentation noted the tax would expire no later than June 30, 2046. County staff also modeled the budgetary alternatives, saying that if the county funded the projects with increased real-estate taxes instead of the sales tax, projects would be delayed and some debt-service impacts would require a real-estate tax increase. Supervisor Rolland R. Cook illustrated that effect with a homeowner example, saying a $250,000 house currently pays approximately $1,300 per year in real-estate tax and that an increase could raise that to about $1,800 annually under the modeled scenario.

Board members asked staff to continue public education on the referendum, and staff committed to sharing spreadsheets and outreach materials with residents ahead of the November 3 ballot.