City voters approved the school sales tax 13,854 to 5,447 in unofficial results. Charlottesville backed Perriello, but McGuire led the 5th District.
Charlottesville voters approved an extra sales tax of up to 1% for school buildings on Tuesday. The measure passed 13,854 to 5,447, or 71.8% to 28.2%, with all nine city precincts reporting. The figures are unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.
Yes won in every precinct. The closest was Key Recreation, 538 to 347, in the Election Day count.
The money can pay only for building or renovating schools. Charlottesville City Schools estimates the tax would raise about $12 million a year. It would end June 30, 2046. Our referendum explainer lists the projects the district says it could support.
What happens next
The vote authorizes the tax. It does not switch it on.
City Council must now adopt an ordinance setting the rate, up to 1%. The tax takes effect 120 days after that, according to the minutes of the council’s July 8 work session (PDF). The district has said it expects the tax to start “sometime in 2027.” No council date has been set yet.
Results are not final. A mail ballot postmarked by Election Day still counts if it reaches the registrar by noon Friday, Nov. 6, according to the Department of Elections. Local electoral boards then canvass the results before the state certifies them.
Albemarle passes its own; three counties say no
Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, approved its own school sales tax 31,017 to 26,816, or 53.6%. That tax applies only to sales in the county.
Three nearby counties turned theirs down:
| Locality | Yes | No | Yes share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | 13,854 | 5,447 | 71.8% |
| Albemarle County | 31,017 | 26,816 | 53.6% |
| Nelson County | 3,754 | 3,918 | 48.9% |
| Fluvanna County | 6,355 | 7,325 | 46.5% |
| Greene County | 4,537 | 5,237 | 46.4% |
Fluvanna County includes Lake Monticello, about 12 miles southeast of Charlottesville. Greene County lies north of Albemarle and Nelson County to its southwest. All five counts come from the state’s unofficial results with every precinct reporting.
The city backed Perriello, but McGuire led the district
In the 5th District race for the U.S. House, Charlottesville voted 88.6% for Democrat Tom Perriello. The city count was:
- Tom S. P. Perriello (D): 17,453
- John J. McGuire III (R): 2,031
- Cooke C. Harvey (I): 173
Across the district, Republican incumbent John McGuire led with 181,260 votes, or 50.2%. Perriello had 173,416, or 48.0%, and Harvey 5,791. All 304 precincts in the district have reported. The state results page lists the totals as unofficial.
For U.S. Senate, Democrat Mark Warner took 89.4% in the city, 17,551 to 2,007 for Republican Bert Mizusawa. Warner had 61.2% statewide.
All three constitutional amendments pass
City voters backed each proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution by more than 5 to 1. Each also passed statewide in the unofficial count.
| Question | City yes | Statewide yes |
|---|---|---|
| 1: reproductive decisions, including abortion | 87.2% | 62.5% |
| 2: removing the ban on same-sex marriage | 87.1% | 57.5% |
| 3: right to vote and restoration of voting rights | 84.8% | 56.6% |
The full wording is on the city’s sample ballot (PDF).
What it means for you
- Sales tax: nothing changes at the register yet. If the council adopts the full 1%, the city rate would rise from 5.3% to 6.3%, so a $100 taxable purchase would carry $6.30 in tax. Groceries, hygiene products and prescriptions stay exempt from the new tax.
- Property tax: the referendum does not change the real estate rate. See our property tax guide.
- Schools: the projects the district has named include cafeterias at Jackson-Via and Greenbrier and classroom upgrades at Charlottesville High. See all Charlottesville public schools.
- Questions about the count: call the city’s Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 434-970-3250. Our voting page has the rest of the city’s election information.
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