City of Covington — Sales Tax (Covington City)

What it does

Shall the City of Covington, Virginia be authorized to levy a general retail sales tax at a rate not to exceed one percent, with the revenues to used solely for capital projects for new construction or major renovation of schools serving the City of Covington, Virginia, including related bond and loan financing costs, and with the tax expiring on June 30, 2046?

A YES vote means

Covington could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for new construction or major renovation of schools, including related bond and loan costs, expiring June 30, 2046.

A NO vote means

Covington would not levy this added local sales tax for schools.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

Virginia Code § 58.1-605.1 lets a city or county levy an additional local sales tax of up to one percent for school construction or renovation only if voters approve it in a referendum initiated by a resolution of the local governing body.

According to the Covington City Council's August 11, 2026, meeting agenda, Resolution R-26-24 was brought at the request of Alleghany Highlands Public Schools, which serves the City of Covington, and asks the Alleghany Circuit Court to place on the November 3, 2026, ballot the question of whether the City may levy an additional local sales tax of up to one percent for school construction and renovation projects.

The same agenda lists a discussion of the school division's request for a 1% sales tax referendum before the vote on the resolution.

Put on the ballot by Covington City Council, August 11, 2026 agenda (Resolution R-26-24, requesting a referendum order from the Alleghany Circuit Court); the vote was not found in posted minutes.

From official source 1, official source 2.

Next elections here

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Covington mean?

Covington could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for new construction or major renovation of schools, including related bond and loan costs, expiring June 30, 2046.

What does a NO vote on City of Covington mean?

Covington would not levy this added local sales tax for schools.

How many votes does City of Covington need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Covington?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.