Fluvanna Supervisors vote to initiate sales referendum process

Between now and Election Day, localities all across the Commonwealth of Virginia will be deciding whether to move forward with a referendum to raise additional funds for school construction.

The final biennial budget adopted by the Virginia General Assembly on June 29 has extended permission to all cities and counties to ask voters if they would support a one-percent sales tax.

“There are certain localities, mostly in the south side, like four or five localities that already have this authority and so now they’ve expanded it statewide,” said James Whitten, the Fluvanna County Attorney.

Whitten told the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors on Wednesday that localities have until August 14 to initiate the process which involves seeking an order from the circuit court. The original language in the budget amendment required a locality to do so within 105 days, but an amendment from Governor Spanberger changed that to 81 days.

“The question on the ballot would include language that the revenues from the sales tax would be used solely for capital projects for construction or renovation of schools and it would expire on June 30th of 2046,” Whitten said. “If the referendum [should] pass, the Board would approve an ordinance and the tax be effective on the first day of the month, at least 120 days after the adoption.”

Whitten said the sales tax increase would not apply to food for human consumption or personal hygiene products.

Last year, Fluvanna County adopted a four percent meals tax and half of those revenues go toward school construction projects. The vote was 3-2 according to a report in the Fluvanna Review from March 26, 2025.

One Supervisor said he would support putting on the ballot but said he had a concern with an additional tax.

“If people decide that that’s, that they want to do this, you know, that’s on them,” said Fork Union District Supervisor Mike Goad. “My main concern is that we’re putting forward attacks for them to decide on when we already have a tax that is going to that.”

Rivanna District Supervisor Tony O”Brien said he felt the additional funding would help the county with debt to pay off big-ticket items. A new elementary school could be as much as $50 million.

“The ability to have a million dollars of revenue towards debt would certainly reduce a burden,” O’Brien said. “Plus, it’s not just on the homeowners.

County Executive Eric Dahl said the debt service payment for the Fluvanna County High School is about $5 million a year.

Supervisors agreed to initiate the process. They’ll later approve ballot language which could include a reminder about the purpose of the meals tax. Goad also said he wants to have a conversation on a possible repeal.

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