Powhatan County — Sales Tax

What it does

Should Powhatan County, Virginia, enact a local retail sales tax of up to one percent (1%) to provide funds that can only be used to pay for construction and renovation of public schools in Powhatan County for a period of not more than twenty years?

A YES vote means

Powhatan County could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for construction and renovation of public schools, for no more than 20 years.

A NO vote means

Powhatan County 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

At a joint special meeting with the School Board on July 6, 2026, the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ask the Circuit Court to order this referendum, according to the county; the Virginia General Assembly's 2026–28 budget extended this sales-tax option to all counties and cities.

The county says the money could help pay for part of the nearly $80 million in deferred maintenance and capital needs identified in a 2023 Powhatan County Schools facilities study.

County Administrator Will Hagy estimated the tax would bring in about $5 million a year, which could support more than $60 million in debt over 20 years; the tax would end when the school bonds or loans are repaid, and no later than July 1, 2046.

Approval would not impose the tax automatically: the Board would still have to adopt it, and any projects funded would go through the Board's regular budget approval, according to the county.

Put on the ballot by Powhatan County Board of Supervisors, unanimous, July 6, 2026 (resolution requesting Circuit Court order a referendum).

From official source.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Powhatan County mean?

Powhatan County could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for construction and renovation of public schools, for no more than 20 years.

What does a NO vote on Powhatan County mean?

Powhatan County would not levy this added local sales tax for schools.

How many votes does Powhatan County 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 Powhatan County?

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.