On Tuesday, Richmond overwhelmingly voted Yes 4 RPS. It’s been incredibly inspiring to witness such deep belief in the promise of Richmond’s future from every corner of our city.

More than 67% of our neighbors voted to authorize a dedicated 1% local sales tax for school construction. This will create a steady funding source expected to generate nearly $47 million every year for school construction. Over time, that revenue can support as much as $850 million in investments, helping to break the cycle of generation after generation of students learning in aging and outdated facilities.

As I said in July when I announced my plan, I am committed to accelerating school construction while also providing targeted tax relief.

Next Steps

1. I will introduce legislation in partnership with City Council leadership to increase the sales tax rate by 1% and reduce the meals tax rate from 7.5% to 6.5%. The new sales tax rate can take effect no sooner than the first day of a month at least 120 days after ordinance passes. Council and Administrative leadership have already initiated that process, and we’ll have a timeline for the legislation soon.

2. I will introduce a budget in March based on a real estate tax rate of $1.19 instead of the current $1.20.

    

Keeping these commitments to increased funding for school construction and tax relief will require thoughtful planning with our partners on City Council. We will need to make some short-term sacrifices this fiscal year and continue carefully managing our spending.

I want to reiterate my commitment to ensure that your tax dollars are stewarded well and invested thoughtfully. I have attended several of RPS’s community meetings for their Facilities Modernization Plan, and am encouraged by their thoughtful work to ensure that our residents’ voices are shaping facility priorities.

I will continue to follow the process closely, and I have asked that their final plan consider all options for maximizing the impact of every dollar. 

Our shared goal must be to use these resources wisely so that as many current and future RPS students as possible have access to modern school buildings as quickly as possible.

That is our obligation to the next generation, and it is the vision that will guide my administration as we help shape the path forward.