Richmond voters will decide on a 1% school-construction sales tax this fall

Richmond’s school-construction sales-tax referendum is on the ballot for Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, with early voting beginning Friday, Sept. 18.

Voters will decide whether to authorize a local sales tax of up to 1% whose revenue would be used solely for capital projects involving public-school construction and major renovation. The tax has not been approved, enacted or implemented.

What voters will decide

The ballot question asks whether Richmond should receive authority to levy the additional local retail sales tax for school facilities. The proposed revenue would be dedicated to construction and major renovations rather than general city operations.

The City of Richmond estimates the measure could generate approximately $47 million annually. City officials have said the proposal could support up to $850 million in school-capital projects through 2034, but those figures are estimates dependent on voter approval, future implementation and project financing.

How the referendum reached the ballot

Richmond City Council adopted Resolution 2026-R028 on July 27, 2026. The resolution ordered submission of the referendum and set the proposed tax cap and restricted use of the revenue.

The measure could take effect only if Richmond voters approve it. The ballot question would establish a dedicated funding authority, not approve a school-by-school construction list or guarantee a particular project.

Why school facilities are central to the debate

Richmond Public Schools is developing a long-term process to determine which facilities should receive priority for modernization. VPM News reported that a 2024 facilities assessment identified approximately $680 million in maintenance and improvement needs over 20 years.

RPS leaders told city officials that the district’s average building is 62 years old and that more than one-fifth of its buildings are at least 100 years old. The district expects a prioritization plan by January 2027 and a vote on a broader facilities-modernization plan by June 2027.

Those planning steps mean the referendum would establish a potential funding source, not approve specific school construction, renovation, rezoning or consolidation decisions. Project priorities and schedules would still need to be developed and approved later.

Separate tax-relief proposals

Mayor Danny Avula has supported the referendum and said that, if voters approve it, he would seek a one-percentage-point reduction in the city’s meals tax, from 7.5% to 6.5%. He also said he would present a budget built around reducing the real-estate tax rate by one cent, from $1.20 to $1.19.

Those are contingent political commitments, not adopted tax changes. They would require later action and are separate from the referendum’s proposed school-construction tax.

Richmond voting deadlines

The city’s elections office lists early voting from Friday, Sept. 18, through Saturday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Friday, Oct. 23, is the deadline to register, update registration or apply for a vote-by-mail ballot. Richmond residents should review the official ballot language and current election instructions before voting.

The unresolved question is whether voters will authorize the dedicated funding stream. If they do, RPS and city officials would still need to determine how to prioritize and approve individual capital projects.

Sources

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