York's schools already have a $211 million approved operating budget for FY2027, made up of federal, state, and local tax dollars, plus an additional $27 million Capital Projects Budget for school construction and improvements. This is the same process that has funded our schools for decades. Nothing has changed.

Our teachers and school bus drivers are outstanding! And they're not paid enough. But even if this measure passes, the money is restricted by state law to funding certain school capital improvements only. It cannot be used to pay teachers and bus drivers.

York's schools have been highly rated for years, well before our state legislature even envisioned this potential new tax. Think back to when you were in school. Teachers and parents make schools great, not shiny new buildings and equipment. Regardless, our schools already have a steady annual funding mechanism that's been in place for years - and that increases every year - the annual Operating Budget and Capital Projects Budget. York's schools already have been given a $211 million approved operating budget for FY2027, made up of federal, state, and local tax dollars, plus an additional $27 million Capital Projects Budget directly from York County for school construction and improvements

York County, James City County and Williamsburg share the dubious honor of having the highest sales tax in all of Virginia, currently at 7%. If this measure passes York will stand alone as THE highest sales tax in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The prices of everything have gone up the past couple of years. Making ends meet, especially with school-aged children, is becoming harder and harder. Your family may be lucky enough to weather paying even higher prices on the things you buy everyday, but for the many poor and working class families who are already struggling, along with our seniors on fixed incomes, this may put them over the edge.

York County Administrator Mark Bellamy has said that tourists pay 25-30% of sales taxes and that a 1% increase would generate $12-15 million dollars annually. So yes, tourists would pay a portion of this, but the lion's share - $9 million or more of it - will be paid by you. And as the City of Williamsburg discovered when they raised their meals tax earlier this year, tax revenues actually declined. Increased taxes could easily incentivize families to drive to Newport News or elsewhere to shop, hurting York County businesses and potentially decreasing our sales tax revenue instead of increasing it.

Given their history, they'll probably do that anyway, leaving us with both increased real estate tax bills and a higher sales tax every time we shop. There is another possibility though: Voting "no" on this measure sends a strong message to the Board that we reject higher taxation and demand greater fiscal responsibility. In other words, make better decisions with the $238 million dollars we're already spending on our schools. When costs rise and economies tighten, households do more with less, shop smarter, and make wiser decisions. Shouldn't we expect the same from our elected leaders?

While supplies last, get one FREE yard sign for your yard. Stop by John Henry Printing, 7300 George Washington Memorial Hwy, and pick up a FREE “No More Taxes” sign for your yard.

There's plenty of confusion over raising the sales tax versus bonds. It's not either-or. It's both. It has to be.If enacted, the new 1% additional sales tax is projected to generate $12 million in additional tax revenue annually. Sturtz & Co. and HBA Architects, the consultants hired by the School Board to make recommendations for school construction project north of $500 million needed over the next 15 to 30 years to modernize and upgrade York's schools. A brand new elementary school can cost $50 million or more. A brand new high school? $200 million. You're not going to pay-as-you-go using $12 million a year in new-found sales tax money. It would take 42 years at $12 million a year to raise $500 million. The math doesn't work.Major municipal capital projects are financed by issuing bonds... basically a mortgage for a city or county. Financial advisors work with investment banks to create the bonds to sell to the public. The county gets the money immediately. The public (your IRA, 401k, etc) buys the bonds and collects a guaranteed low rate of interest. The county makes principal and interest payments for 10... 20... 30 years.York County currently has more than $200 million in outstanding municipal bond debt. The required principal and interest payments for 2026 total more than $12 million.$200 million in outstanding bond debt... $12 million a year in payments.What do you imagine the payments are on $500 million? More than $12 million a year, for sure. York County Administrator Mark Bellamy projects that a new 1% sales tax will generate - - - $12 million a year. Where do you suppose the difference will come from?New school construction WILL be financed by issuing bonds, and YOU will make the payments on them. "Sales Tax instead of Bonds" is fiction.

No. It's a replacement source. York County Administrator Mark Bellamy is already telling you how he’s going to use this money. In his own words, July 21st in his presentation to the Board of Supervisors, Mr. Bellamy says that this new tax revenue would “add capacity” to the county’s overall capital funding strategy, providing better flexibility as the board considers how to fund other long term priorities, such as a new courthouse.What does that mean?If you “add capacity,” you’re providing money that will free up other money to be used for something else.Just like the state’s lottery money. It added capacity. And once that money started flowing to schools, the General Assembly simply took the money it used to send to schools and spent it on something else.You vote “yes,” we all chip in another $12 million, and York’s going to reduce what it would’ve sent to schools for capital improvements and instead spend that money on other new toys - like a courthouse. And what’s the net for you? You’re now paying twice.York’s not going to reduce or even stabilize spending when you give them this new tax money. They’re going to take that as a pay raise and go buy something else with it.See/hear it for yourself. Go to approximately 35:00 in this video from the July 21 meeting and press Play:

Our schools need ongoing maintenance. Some need repairs. Some need major renovations. We may even need to build some new ones.Every year the school division amends its Capital Improvement Plan to project the next six years of these kinds of needs. And every year the school division asks the county for an appropriation for capital improvements. This year, they asked for $26.7 million for FY2026-27. And York’s citizens answered the call, through the Board of Supervisors, who allocated the full $26.7 million they asked for. The school division could’ve asked for anything. They asked for $26.7 million. And they got it. Did the condition of schools change drastically for the worse in just a few months? Did they not know the condition of the schools? Why didn’t they ask for more if they needed more?It seems the sudden "crisis" only arose July 1st when the state's General Assembly provided legislation allowing localities to vote for up to 1% additional sales tax to use for school capital improvements.School Board Approved Capital Improvement Program for FY2026-31:https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1781627431/yorkcountyschoolsorg/x2lmkjdd20oqbtxczn2d/SchoolBoard_ApprovedCIP26-31.pdf

"ALICE" stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained - Employed. Families who hover just above the federal poverty line but still cannot make ends meet.The United Way of the Virginia Peninsula tracks York's ALICE households on an annual basis, and the statistics may shock you. A surprising number of York County families struggle to afford the basic necessities of living, including:57% of York households headed by a single mom40% of York households age 65 or olderAnd it's no secret that sales taxes are highly regressive and hit low income households the hardest. That 1% might not disrupt your daily latte, but for 31% of York's 26,968 households - our neighbors and fellow York County citizens - it matters tremendously.Follow this link and select "YORK" under County Reports to view York County's ALICE statistics:https://www.unitedforalice.org/county-reports-mobile/virginia

What's subject to the Sales Tax? A LOT more than you think...Groceries (but ONLY food for home consumption) are NOT sales tax free - but they're taxed at a reduced statewide rate of 1%.Certain "essential" personal hygiene products are also taxed at a reduced statewide rate of 1%. What's "essential?" ONLY these specific items, per 58.1-611.1 of the state code:- disposable incontinence products- menstrual cups/pads- pantyliners- sanitary napkins- tampons- - - that's it. And it's probably not the exhaustive list you thought it was.Prescription medication isn't taxed.FULL SALES TAX:* Prepared meals at restaurants are subject to the FULL sales tax rate* Fast Food / drive-thrus are subject to the FULL sales tax rateas are:* Every Amazon / Wal-Mart delivery to your home* Fast Food* Electronics* Appliances* Furniture* Home goods and decor* Cleaning supplies* Cookware* Clothing* Shoes* Newspapers / Magazines* Certain leases and rentals (renting equipment, renting a car, renting a tuxedo or dress)* Alcohol* Tobacco* Certain digital or bundled services

Sadly, yes.WTKR recently reported on the findings of the inaugural Virginia Hunger Study."These are not families in some distant place; these are our neighbors, the people who bag our groceries, who teach our children, who serve alongside us at church, who work full time and cannot make ends meet," said Chris Tan, president and CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.Families right here on the Peninsula - and yes, right here in York County - are finding it difficult to put food on the table and feed their kids.How on earth are they going to afford yet another tax?Read the full article here:https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/norfolk/new-study-finds-nearly-half-of-hampton-roads-households-struggle-to-afford-food

This is probably the absolute worst piece of misinformation being spread by the "vote yes" crowd. A 1% sales tax increase will absolutely devastate poor and working class families here in York. And yes, it will make it harder for them to afford food. Here's why:Low-income families spend almost all of their income on day-to-day living costs. While they may not pay tax on raw supermarket groceries, they still pay sales tax on essential non-food items like shoes, clothing, household cleaning supplies, most hygiene products, utilities, and car repairs. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡.The "essential" personal hygiene products exemption ONLY covers five items specifically listed in state law: disposable incontinence products, menstrual cups/pads, pantyliners, sanitary napkins, and tampons. That's it. 𝐒𝐨𝐚𝐩,𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐨, 𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫, 𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐬 --- 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐲𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐱.The sales tax exemptions for groceries apply strictly to raw or un-prepared "food at home." Low-income workers — who may have less time, lack kitchen access, or rely on transit — frequently buy prepared foods, hot deli items, or fast food, which remain subject to the FULL sales tax.𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐱.================================================Don't rely on cherry-picked Q&A's which are marketing disguised as information. The devil IS in the details!Read our full list of FAQs here:================================================https://www.nonewtaxesyorkco.com/================================================Additional Resources:State law on sales tax exemptions for certain "food at home" and "essential" personal hygiene items:https://law.lis.virginia.gov/.../chapter6/section58.1-611.1/