It was definitely a hard sell for voters to approve an increase in any tax in the current economy, and supporters of the 1 percent sales tax in Mathews County found that out on Tuesday night. The measure, which would have devoted receipts from a 1 percent sales tax over the next 20 years for school construction and renovation projects, failed on Election Night by a narrow margin. Only 230 votes separated no from yes, as the ballot initiative went down by a 52.44 percent to 47.56 percent margin. Voters across Virginia found this to be the case. Statewide, the measure was on the ballot in 47 localities, including eight in the Hampton Roads region. The measure failed in all but one of those eight jurisdictions, with Middlesex County narrowly approving the measure by 51.15 percent of the vote. Mathews was the next closest to winning; small comfort for supporters of the measure. When people are struggling to make ends meet, it’s hard for them to see beyond balancing their own paycheck. The ...