School upgrades and the possibility of a penny sales tax increase to pay for them are among the focuses of Martinsville’s 2025 legislative agenda.
The city council’s Tuesday work session included a discussion about the list of projects councilors send to state and federal representatives annually. It serves as a sort of wish list for initiatives that usually can’t be pursued solely on the local level.
“Each year, the City of Martinsville adopts, by resolution, a Legislative Agenda,” reads the agenda statement of intent. “The purpose of this agenda is to provide our state and federal legislators with a clear and accessible reference that outlines the City’s positions on issues at both the state and national level that may affect our community.”
While past legislative agendas touched on a number of issues, this year’s focus was on education, including a proposed penny sales tax earmarked for educated-related spending. This includes spending on several school infrastructure-related projects.
“If anyone isn’t familiar with the 1% sales tax, it’s a tax that has been passed by other localities in the past,” said Councilor Julian Mei. “It’s going to go toward, specifically, school needs, construction, and capital improvement projects.”
The proposed sales tax increase would require General Assembly permission. The final decision would then fall to Martinsville residents, who would vote on the matter through a referendum.
Martinsville’s current sales tax consists of state and local components. The state sales tax is 4.3% while the local portion is 1%, for a combined 5.3% sales tax. Henry County’s sales tax is slightly higher, at 6.3%.
Other school initiatives include teacher attraction and retention.
“The City of Martinsville supports additional state initiatives to recruit and retain teachers, including expanded loan forgiveness programs, housing assistance, and competitive compensation supported through state funding,” reads part of the agenda.
City councilors also urge lawmakers to continue supporting school resource officer funding and the expansion of technical training.
“The City of Martinsville joins Henry County in its support of increased state investment in career and technical education programs at both the high school and postsecondary levels,” reads part of the agenda.
Other agenda priorities include suggestions for increasing housing. This includes language encouraging lawmakers to address the locality’s authority to regulate property maintenance.
The city’s authority to address blighted properties is one of the points the city wants lawmakers to address. The request echoes steps taken by Henry County earlier in the year.
“This established authority would allow localities to quickly address blight, property maintenance, and nuisance issues more efficiently while reducing burden on local and state law enforcement and courts,” reads part of the agenda.
Virginia’s 2026 legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 14.