Governor should elevate school-building over his future aspirations

Yahoo

24-02-2025

A 2021 tour of the construction of the new Highland Springs High School in Henrico, estimated to cost about $80 million. (Photo courtesy of Henrico County Public Schools)
Legislation heading to Gov. Glenn Youngkin's desk will unambiguously tell Virginians what he values most: sufficient funding for school construction in the commonwealth, or snappy slogans for his next campaign.
I wish he'd choose the former. As an ambitious, ladder-climbing politico, though, the governor has so far shown he'll opt for the latter – with some version of 'I didn't raise taxes' leading his media blitz for a U.S. Senate or presidential quest.
Some of Youngkin's stance can be attributed to Virginia's antiquated rule that governors cannot serve two terms consecutively. We're the only state with that prohibition, after Kentucky changed its law in 1992. More on that later.
Both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate passed Senate Bill 1307, allowing all cities and counties across Virginia the opportunity to add a 1% sales tax for new school construction if voters approve it in a local referendum. Right now, only nine localities have that option. Youngkin has vetoed similar versions of the bill previously.
It's odd the counties of Charlotte, Gloucester, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Patrick and Pittsylvania and the city of Danville were blessed with this ability, while the rest of the state now must beg for the same source of revenue. Those nine localities, however, gained permission for the tax before Youngkin became the state's chief executive.
Timing is everything, I guess.
Both chambers passed the current bill by wide margins. Those votes showed strong bipartisanship at a time when that can be rare on major issues.
The General Assembly already proved that enormous amounts of money were needed for construction and major renovations. In 2021, its own Commission on School Construction and Modernization placed the tab at $25 billion for public K-12 buildings that are at least a half-century old. More than 1,000 public schools are in that category in Virginia.
Localities can raise their real estate tax rates on their own, but other tax increases need the Assembly's blessing in this Dillon Rule state. The problem? The real estate tax usually covers basic services, and it's difficult to extend that source of money to pay for expensive capital projects.
'There's nothing more popular (among residents) than rebuilding some of these crumbling schools,' Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News and a member of the modernization panel, told me. Many communities, though, bump up against bonding limits if they raise the real estate rate too high.
'The real challenge is that localities have a hard time building more than one capital project' at the same time, said Simonds, who voted for SB 1307. 'We want to make sure our schools are highly functional, have the latest safety standards, and are energy efficient.'
Pulaski County is among the localities seeking help. As my colleague Nathaniel Cline recently reported, the county is battling inflation, high interest rates and rising construction costs. The county administrator said Pulaski has hit its real estate tax ceiling.
I couldn't reach Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William and the bill's sponsor, for an interview. He has said the current pools of state money for school construction isn't enough 'to deal with the large backlog that's faced by so many different school divisions.' He's right about that.
I wrote previously that aging school buildings have deficiencies that include leaky roofs, faulty HVAC systems, pests, radon and asbestos.
When I interviewed McPike in December 2023 about similar legislation, he said many localities represented by Democrats and Republicans alike craved the sales tax option. 'They want a new tool in the toolbox,' said McPike, who's another member of the modernization panel.
Which brings me back to Gov. Youngkin, who's been mentioned repeatedly as a Republican candidate for other posts after his upset win in November 2021. Speculation even placed him as a potential vice-presidential selection for Donald Trump last year before he picked JD Vance.
It's a truism in Virginia that a newly elected governor maps out his next gig almost as soon as takes the oath of office. He – or she, given this year's possible party nominees – also might not confront the effects of policy decisions since the tenure is only four years.
So it's tempting for a governor to kick the can down the road when troublesome problems arise. Why fix something that can cost political capital when you, instead, can leave it for your successor?
Youngkin, who campaigned in 2021 promising tax cuts, has been more than eager to oversee billions of dollars of them when the state budget allowed it. Less so about approving tax hikes when localities and Virginians need them.
(He had proposed a digital tax in 2024 before berating the Democratic-controlled Assembly for the version it sent him. The tax eventually was struck from the budget.)
'In the Trump Republican Party, raising taxes of any sort is a scarlet letter,' Larry Sabato, director and founder of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told me by email. 'Even though the tax here is relatively minor and only goes into effect if the people in the locality approve it, Youngkin's future opponents will say, 'He raised taxes!'
'Think of the TV ads.'
Youngkin's spokesman didn't reply to repeated requests for comment on whether the governor plans to sign the bill.
When he vetoed similar legislation last year, Youngkin said the proposed surcharge would amount to a nearly $1.5 billion tax increase to Virginians. But as the Richmond Times-Dispatch noted, that's what the total would be if every locality imposed the surcharge. So his explanation was deceptive.
Last year, Youngkin noted the proposed state budget had increases for loans and grants for school construction. Those raises, though, were woefully short of the overall need.
He should approve the proposed tax increase for school construction. Forget the platitudes and party dogma.
It's time for the governor to elevate Virginia over his next political campaign.
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