The Buchanan County and St Joseph tax initiative’s failed as voters defeated both measures during Tuesday’s election.

The city initiative failed with 60 percent of voters saying no. 13,979 voted no compared with 8,967 voting yes.

The county tax failed with by identical percentages, 60 percent said no, and 39 percent said yes. That’s 16,309 to 10,777.

The tax would have generated an estimated $3 million a year and would have paid for services such as police, fire and street repair. The opposition claimed the tax needed a sunset clause and that the tax would have created a government slush fund.