Voters in Essex rejected a town-wide, 1-percent local sales tax. The Essex Selectboard and the Essex Junction Board of Trustees had both endorsed the proposal. Officials say the tax would have raised about $850,000 annually for the town and village. Funds would have been used to lower property taxes and to up date infrastructure and increase economic development funding to attract more businesses to the town. Selectboard member Linda Myers said the tax was rejected in a voice vote by a strong majority of the standing-room only crowd.
