City Council voted Tuesday night to adopt a resolution requesting permission from the General Assembly to conduct a local sales tax referendum. In the referendum, if allowed by the General Assembly, voters would decide whether to authorize the City to levy an additional 1 percent local sales tax.
Proceeds would go toward school construction and renovation.
Danville Public Schools has identified significant capital construction and renovation needs throughout the school system. A recent study by RRMM Architects in Roanoke determined that construction and renovation at four schools — George Washington High School, J.M. Langston Campus, G.L.H. Johnson Elementary School and Woodberry Hills Elementary School — would cost $138 million.
A sales tax of 1 percent would generate up to $9 million to go toward bond payments on about $150 million in capital. The current sales tax in Danville is 5.3 percent, which is the state’s rate. Danville gets one percentage point of that 5.3 percent.
Last year, Halifax County received permission from the State to conduct a referendum to allow an additional 1 percent local option sales tax with proceeds going toward school construction and renovation.
In other matters, City Council voted to:
- Send five requests for special use permits for commercial indoor recreation back to the Planning Commission for further consideration. The permits, if granted, would have allowed indoor gaming at the sites, which were 642 Worsham St., 2203 South Boston Road, 688 Mount Cross Road, 2846 Riverside Drive and 545 Memorial Drive.
- Grant a special use permit for a waiver to yard requirements that would allow an existing historic office building to remain on a proposed new lot at 1076 West Main St.
- Appropriate $1.2 million in federal funds for housing-related programs.
These matters were considered during the City Council’s business session.
In the open communications period of the business session, several residents spoke in support of declaring the city a “Second Amendment Sanctuary.” The item was not on the agenda for a vote. During the open communications period, residents may speak on any issue not on the agenda.
Following the close of the business session, City Council met in a work session. In work sessions, Council reviews non-routine matters that will be voted upon in future business meetings.
During last night’s work session, City Council discussed whether to place on the agenda for the Jan. 21 business session a resolution that would declare the city a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” or “Second Amendment Constitutional City.” Two resolutions were discussed, but failed for lack of majority support.
Also, last night, the City Council held a closed meeting as allowed by state law to discuss a prospective business or industry related to economic development and to discuss the acquisition of real property or disposition of publicly held real property.