The endorsement of the local chamber of commerce and public-safety unions as well as several years of distance from the covid-19 pandemic weren't enough to persuade Little Rock residents to approve a sales-tax proposal during Tuesday's election.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr., the chief proponent of the "Results for the Rock" package, said in an interview Wednesday that he was "clearly disappointed" with the outcome but respected the decision of Little Rock voters.

The $650 million proposal was broken up into two ballot questions, and both were rejected by sizable margins. The opposition carried all but a handful of the city's precincts. (In one case, there was a tie.)

Nearly 60% of residents voted against a permanent three-eighths percent (0.375%) tax that would have funded operations while 63% voted against a temporary five-eighths percent (0.625%)