City of Winchester — Sales Tax (Winchester City)

What it does

Should an additional general retail sales tax not to exceed 1% be levied in the City for the payment of capital projects for the construction and/or renovation of schools serving the City in accordance with the Code of Virginia § 58.1-605.1? The revenue from the additional general sales tax not to exceed 1% shall be used solely for capital projects for the renovation or construction of City schools, financing and/or bonds, to the extent the capital projects are to be financed by bonds and/or loans, and the additional general sales tax not to exceed 1% shall expire no later than July 14, 2046.

A YES vote means

Winchester could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for renovation or construction of city schools, including financing and bonds, expiring no later than July 14, 2046.

A NO vote means

Winchester 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

According to the City of Winchester, City Council unanimously adopted a resolution on July 14, 2026 asking the Winchester Circuit Court to put the referendum on the general election ballot.

The city says a yes vote would authorize, but not impose, a sales tax of up to 1%. Council would still have to set a rate and adopt an ordinance.

The city estimates the tax would raise $8 million to $10 million a year at 1%, or $4 million to $5 million at 0.5%. It says groceries and personal hygiene products would be exempt and the tax would expire no later than July 14, 2046.

Put on the ballot by Winchester City Council, unanimous, July 14, 2026.

From official source.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Winchester mean?

Winchester could levy an added local sales tax of up to 1%, used only for renovation or construction of city schools, including financing and bonds, expiring no later than July 14, 2046.

What does a NO vote on City of Winchester mean?

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

How many votes does City of Winchester 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 Winchester?

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.