City of Richmond — Local Sales Tax Option (Richmond City)

What it does

Shall the City of Richmond be authorized to levy a general retail sales tax at a rate not to exceed 1% to provide revenue solely for capital projects for the construction or major renovation of schools in the City? Should this referendum be approved authorizing the levy of such tax, the tax would expire no later than June 30, 2046.

A YES vote means

Richmond could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for construction or major renovation of schools, expiring no later than June 30, 2046.

A NO vote means

Richmond 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

Richmond City Council adopted Resolution 2026-R028 on July 27, 2026, asking the Circuit Court to order the referendum, after the Education and Human Services Standing Committee recommended approval on July 9. That is according to the city's legislative records, which do not list a tally.

The resolution notes that Council had endorsed seeking this sales tax authority in its 2026 legislative program (Resolution 2025-R051, December 15, 2025).

A financial presentation to Council estimated the tax at about $47 million in its first year (FY2028 if enacted), and nearly $1.1 billion over 19 years assuming 2% growth. It said the money could fund about $850 million in school construction and renovation over the next decade, compared with $450 million under the current plan.

The presentation says the tax could not be used to repay existing debt or for school projects already underway, and would not apply to food for human consumption or essential personal hygiene products.

Put on the ballot by Richmond City Council, adopted July 27, 2026 (Resolution 2026-R028; tally not recorded in Legistar).

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Richmond mean?

Richmond could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for construction or major renovation of schools, expiring no later than June 30, 2046.

What does a NO vote on City of Richmond mean?

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

How many votes does City of Richmond 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 Richmond?

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.