VOTE 2010: New Hanover voters pass sales tax hike

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County sales tax referendum passed Tuesday, barely. The quarter of cent sales tax increase brought many voters out to the polls, the outcome affecting everyone, pass or fail. We talked to County Commission chair Jason Thompson, and he laid it out in true Thompson fashion.

“Well I think it’s going to be a good day for us and the sales tax,” he said. “To be leading in the beginning I think the people that were against it came out in the early voting. I hope it holds up. If so, I think we did a good job of educating our citizens on what the sales tax means.”

With the sales tax passing Thompson said many quality of life services would be safe, like Airlie Gardens, but says there will still be cuts.

“They’ll probably be some reductions, not just in Airlie Gardens, but everything that is discretionary will have to be reduced regardless if it passes or not,” Thompson said.