Council to send 1% sales tax referendum for school construction to Richmond voters

The City Council voted to place Resolution 20-26-R028 on the November ballot, asking Richmond voters whether to levy a local sales tax of up to 1% dedicated to construction and renovation of Richmond Public School facilities. Financial advisers told the council that, under conservative assumptions, the measure could yield about $47 million in its first full year if enacted in FY2028 and could fund hundreds of millions of dollars in school capital projects over the coming decades.

David Rose of Davenport summarized the fiscal estimate: "If enacted we think it would occur in FY2028, and that would be roughly $47,000,000 in year 1." Supporters, including Richmond Public Schools representatives and board members, said the dedicated revenue would address widespread deferred maintenance, aging HVAC systems, and health hazards such as asbestos. Superintendent Jason Camras read a student quote about cold classrooms to underscore facility needs: "In winter, the school was very cold...".

At the same time, multiple council members pressed for stronger assurances about transparency and additive funding, asking the administration and school board to provide a five-year facilities plan and a line-by-line accounting of prior school-targeted tax revenues. Councilwoman Gibson requested that presentation materials and supporting financial documents be posted publicly and recommended written guarantees that funds would be additive rather than replace existing capital commitments. Council directed staff to provide the requested materials and to work with the school board on an outreach and implementation plan ahead of the referendum.