Is sales tax increase this year? Bill passed the Virginia Senate – Farmville Herald

This is a similar situation with the one we met last year when it comes to the General Assembly. The Virginia Senate has accepted the SB1307, which will revive the discussion about the increase in sales tax to pay for the construction of a school. It is now about what will happen at Virginia’s house and if the governor Glen Youngkin will veto this bill, as he made the one who came to his desk last year.

The final vote in the Senate was 27-13, with Prince Edward Luther Siffers being one of the voices without voices. Senator Tammy Mulchi, who also represents this region, voted in favor of the bill, which was drafted, similar to the one that it laid last year, at the request of the Council of Supervisory Authorities of the District Prince Edward. This year, Prince Edward’s employees withdrew from their attempt to insist on such a bill, but employees said they would support one if he passed.

Therefore, first, a quick reminder of why this is offered. In Virginia, a city or district must first obtain permission from the General Assembly, then citizens must vote on the concept before an increase in sales tax occurs. Prince Edward is currently in the midst of the repair of the elementary Prince Edward and hopes to use a bill like this last year to help financing this. Other counties are considering the same thing. But first, they need permission.

Eight counties and one city are currently in power to increase sales tax in order to finance school repairs. These include Charlotte County, Gloucester County, Halifax County, Henry County, Mecklenburg County, Northampton County, Patrick County, Pitsyalvana County and Danville. That’s all. If you are not on this list, you cannot increase the increase in sales tax for voting.

A new version can reach

Last year’s bill actually passed through the House and the Senate, but was vetoed by governor Glen Youngkin, as he said he promised not to increase taxes. The new, slightly twisted version, now did it from the Senate and goes to the House this week.

There are several changes to this year’s version of the State Bill, as Senator Crey Dare, a member of the Virginia Senate Financing Committee, explains. The SB1307 will allow the counties to let residents vote if they support a 1% increase in sales tax, the money being allocated for school construction.

“We put some railings in the process to ensure that the money raised is used only for new construction,” Deus said. “(And we) have set the expiry date 20 years after the project is undertaken and the debt is paid.”

As we mentioned cases, this is not something that district supervisors could allocate elsewhere. According to this formulation, the money raised from the tax increase will have to go for a new school construction. This means that it also cannot be spent on the payment of a previous debt to the school area of ​​a project. In addition, if this bill is approved in its present form, let’s say that the residents of Prince Edward vote to increase sales tax. And let’s be clear, they will have to vote “yes” before an increase is made. No voice, no increase. Then this will mean that the increase can only remain for a maximum of 20 years.

Is it necessary to increase sales tax?

Is it necessary? Numerous schools in Central and South Virginia have been involved in buildings that have long since begun to fall apart. The Virginia Commission on the Construction and Modernization of Schools last year found that a number of school districts were reporting destroyed buildings. In fact, more than half of the K-12 school buildings in Virginia are currently more than 50 years old and have been “glued” many times, since in particular the rural counties have no means of new construction.

The Commission has found that the amount of funding required to complete all destroying school buildings in Virginia is estimated at $ 24.8 billion.