2019-12-07 School Capital Needs PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
RESOLUTION # 2019-12-07
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF INCREASING SALES TAX TO FUND SCHOOL CAPITAL NEEDS
WHEREAS,at the Business Meeting of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors(the"Board")held
on Tuesday, December 17,2019, in the General District Courtroom of the Edwin R. Shields Courthouse Addition,
the following Resolution was presented and adopted:
WHEREAS, in 2013, the Virginia General Assembly approved a sales tax increase in certain localities
for Infrastructure Development (from 5.3% to 6.0%) to relieve traffic congestion, making available billions of
dollars of local funding for infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, Virginia collects 5.3%of sales tax with 1% going to the locality, and currently representing
over 2.5 million dollars annually to Pittsylvania County; and
WHEREAS, school building needs in many Virginia localities, including Pittsylvania County, have
become an acute problem; and
WHEREAS,the Virginia Senate has recognized the need for school buildings and developed a committee
chaired by State Senator William Stanley to address obsolete buildings; and
WHEREAS, school children living in rural areas of Virginia should not be at a disadvantage as compared
to other localities in attending safe and structurally sound school buildings; and
WHEREAS, funding for school division capital projects constricts local and school system operating
funds and infringes on money for teacher salaries and public safety; and
WHEREAS, State sales tax dollars invested in local school construction projects would make available
more local funds to invest in the operations of schools, including teacher salaries; and
WHEREAS, State sales tax revenue specifically earmarked for school funding would permit more local
property tax revenues to be allocated to public safety, school operations, and refuse collection and disposal; and
WHEREAS, State sales tax revenue specifically designated for school infrastructure funding should not
be counted towards the Required Local Effort for educational funding; and
WHEREAS,it is in the interest of having a thriving public education system that any enabling legislation
guarantees that localities cannot supplant funding from the schools' operations budget if new revenue is generated
from a school infrastructure sales tax; and
WHEREAS, State enabling legislation is legally required for an additional sales tax, which would be
expressly dedicated to public school capital project funding; and
WHEREAS, such locality should obtain support of its community by way of a referendum approving any
local sales tax increase for school improvement and construction.
NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED,that the Board supports and desires for the Virginia General
Assembly to enact such legislation as is necessary to permit Pittsylvania County to charge additional sales tax,
conditioned upon a local referendum approving such sales tax, with the revenue generated thereby being returned
to the localities for the express and exclusive purpose of providing funding for public school capital improvement
and building purposes and for the repayment of public school debt service, with no dilution of Required Local
Effort towards educational operational funding.
Given under my hand this 17th day of December, 2019.
r.
Ot, -
q 11 :7E' Joe B avis, Chairman
.�� =� Pit sylvani. o y Boa of Supervisors
16! dr
_.x , ie;,__..,
x ,_ , :. ,id M. 4P1 erman, Clerk
4) --1
Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors
:171
wr
fv