PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – The results of Tuesday’s school bond referendum in Pittsylvania County underscore the old adage that every vote counts.

Revised figures from the registrar’s office show that the proposal to increase the county’s sales tax by 1% to fund about $66 million in school upgrades failed by 23 votes. On election night, that number was 44. Most of the outstanding votes were mail-in ballots that had to be postmarked by Election Day. Once they were counted, that narrowed the gap even further.

12,751 (50.05%) voted against the referendum, while 12,728 (49.95%) favored the referendum. That’s a 23 vote difference out of 25,479 ballots cast.

The sales tax revenue from the increase would have generated about $3.3 million per year in the county.

The resolution had a sunset clause calling for the 1% tax increase to expire on September 30, 2051.