For the third time in seven years, Madison County voters on Tuesday again rejected a proposal that would have increased sales tax by 1 percent.
It went down in a vote of 27,523 to 14,966, a margin of 65 to 35 percent.
Nancy Moss, spokesperson for Madison County Citizens for Sustainable Education which opposed the measure, said its defeat was a "major victory for the people of Madison County."
"It was an intense and successful grassroots effort," she said. "The voters have spoken three times now, and it would be very disappointing if it is placed on the ballot again."
The County Schools Facilities Sales Tax (CSFT) was previously defeated by a large margin in 2011 and narrowly in 2017.
With the exception of Collinsville CUSD 10, school boards voted again to put the measure on this year's primary ballot. In their request for funds to pay for capital improvements, supporters argued that an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the increased sales tax revenue would come from people living outside of Madison County, which would therefore reduce the burden on taxpayers to pay for improvements and maintenance.
But critics had said that if passed, the increase would have resulted in some Madison County shoppers paying among the highest sales taxes in the nation.
For instance, the Granite City Business District Tax rate would have been 10.35, Collinsville 10.35 and Highland 9.85.
By comparison, Chicago and Long Beach, Calif. have the highest sales tax rates among large cities at 10.25.