In three out of four cases, North Carolina voters said no to hiking the local sales tax.

Three of the four referendums increasing local sales taxes by 0.25 percent failed. Voters in Bertie rejected their proposal by a margin of 31 percent to 69 percent; in Bladen County, the ‘no’ vote was 72 percent to 28 percent; Brunswick County’s proposal failed, 40-60. Only Davidson County’s measure passed, by a vote of 56 percent to 44 percent.

Meantime, by a 78 percent to 22 percent margin, Gaddy Township voters in Robeson County approved a 10-cent increase in the local property tax rate to finance a separate fire district with a volunteer fire department.

Local bond measures fared better. Bald Head Island residents passed a beach improvement bonds referendum by a whopping 90-10 margin. Davie County enacted a school bond measure, 54 percent to 46 percent, and a parks-and-recreation bond, 56-44. Mooresville voters approved a street-and-sidewalk bonds proposal, 63-37, and a parks-and-rec measure, 55-45. Goldsboro residents approved a parks-and-rec measure by a similar 55-45 margin.