Orange County voters said “no” to the sales tax hike that was on Tuesday’s ballot — as did voters in all 14 counties that put the tax hike to a vote. The dynamic in Orange is fascinating. The News & Observer reports that the Chapel Hill/Carrboro district of the county had a 56 percent “yes” vote, while the rest of the county had a 67 percent “no” vote. Final tally in Orange: 51.2 percent “no,” despite ringing endorsements from mover-and-shaker groups and a $40,000 public “education” campaign funded with tax dollars. And then there’s this: (emphasis is mine)
But those initiatives were not detailed enough or essential for enough voters, said Will Raymond, a former candidate for Chapel Hill Town Council.
“It wasn’t a good product and I think people recognized that,” he said.
A contract to buy nearly three acres worth more $548,760 for a new county library, announced just before the election, probably didn’t help, Raymond said: “They’re saying we’re short of money, … but by the way we have $610,000 to buy a piece of property in Carrboro for a library.”
Indeed. In this post-election analysis of the sales tax vote, as well as the overall election results, JLF’s John Hood notes the strength of conservative candidates and issues.
