Yes, but.
Discussions about a sales tax increase in York County illustrate Virginia’s schizophrenic approach to schools: one group of elected officials makes the decision on how to spend taxpayer money on schools, while another group of elected officials taxes voters to get it.
York County supervisors voted 4-1 in July to place a referendum on the November ballot asking voters if they will approve an increase of up to 1% in the county sales tax devoted solely to school construction. A consultant has estimated that will cost up to half a billion dollars over the next three decades.
At a joint meeting with the school board last week, the chair and vice chair of the York County board of supervisors urged school leaders to actively campaign for the sales tax increase. They noted it would ease the pressure on property taxes and would spread the school cost to nonresidents who shop in York or visit.
“I need some help” convincing taxpayers to vote yes, Board Chair Douglas R. Holroyd said. “I don’t see the school board...I don’t see the PTA...I don’t see signs in front of the schools saying yes” to a sales tax increase, he said.
“If we’re going to get this, it’s going to be a team effort,” added Vice Chair Thomas G. Shepperd Jr. “...the public will be looking to our school board members to say, wow, do you really need this?”
But school leaders seem reluctant to publicly make a hard sell for the increase, opting to frame the issue for voters and explain how a tax increase would help schools.