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A proposed school sales tax was ahead by five votes in an unofficial tally posted late Tuesday, as newcomers Charles Niederstadt Jr. and Michael Greene led the five-way race for two Martinsville City Council seats.
The referendum would allow the city to levy a general sales tax of up to 1 percent, with revenue reserved for school construction or renovation. It was ahead 2,065 to 2,060 and would expire July 14, 2046. The Virginia Department of Elections listed all six precincts as fully reported but still listed provisional ballots as not reported, so the five-vote margin could change as counting continues.
Greene received 1,873 votes, or 26.42 percent of candidate selections, and Niederstadt received 1,791, or 25.26 percent. Mayor L.C. Jones, the only incumbent on the ballot, was third with 1,474 votes, followed by Verna L. Tina Jenkins with 1,037 and Chad Hall with 855. Because voters could select up to two candidates, the percentages represent shares of candidate selections, not shares of voters, and the two winners are expected to join the council in January. Martinsville voters also favored Democrat Mark Warner with 2,859 votes, or 67.94 percent, to Republican Bert Mizusawa's 1,342, favored Democrat Joy Powers in the 9th Congressional District with 2,681 votes, and supported all three constitutional amendments.
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