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Board hears plan for a 1% local sales tax to fund $70M+ in Wythe County school projects; referendum set for Nov. 3
Summary
County staff presented a plan to place a one-percent local option sales tax on the Nov. 3 ballot to fund construction and renovation projects totaling over $70 million for Wythe County schools; staff said 40% of revenue is estimated to come from non-resident purchases and the tax would expire no later than June 30, 2046.
County Administrator Stephen D. Bear presented an overview of a proposed one-percent local option sales tax dedicated to school capital projects and debt service, should voters approve a referendum scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Bear said the revenue would support construction of a new Spiller Elementary, renovations to Fort Chiswell High School, athletic facility improvements and ongoing facility repairs; the estimated total for eligible projects exceeds $70 million.
Bear explained how the tax would work under Virginia law: it would apply to taxable retail purchases (excluding grocery and personal hygiene items), be collected by retailers then remitted via the state to the county, and be dedicated by statute to capital projects and related bond or loan financing. Staff estimated roughly 40% of local sales tax receipts are generated by non-resident purchases because of interstate traffic through Wythe County (I-81/I-77). Bear said if the county instead increased the real-estate tax to cover the projects, the county real-estate rate could rise from $0.51 to about $0.72 per $100 of assessed value and delay projects; the one-percent sales tax would allow projects to begin earlier.
The Board took no binding fiscal action beyond authorizing the referendum process; staff provided a spreadsheet of debt scenarios and said additional public information will be shared to help voters understand impacts.
