By GAYLE WEBER

gweber@dailynews.net

Voters said no to two sales tax issues Tuesday in Rooks County, but Stockton City Manager Keith Schlaegel said he wasn't shocked at the results.

"A number of sales tax (issues) didn't pass around the state," Schlaegel said. "The economic climate isn't too good."

A half-cent general sales tax for the possible construction of a new city-owned nursing home was defeated 165 to 131 Tuesday.

The tax would have increased the total city sales tax to 2 percent, but Schlaegel said he thought the problem with Stockton's question was it wasn't specific enough for people to know what they were voting on.

"I think people were a little confused on exactly how the money would be used," Schlaegel said.

Because it was a general sales tax, the question only referred to the money being used for the elderly and the construction of care facilities.

The city is allowed a 1 percent special sales tax, but that already is allocated to upgrading the city's water system.

The Stockton City Commission met Tuesday before the election results were known, so Schlaegel said he didn't know if the city would look at the issue again.

"It's possible," he said.

However, according to Plainville Mayor Shirley Hendrex, the city of Plainville likely will try to implement a 1-cent sales tax for additional revenue again after the issue was defeated 179 to 164 votes.

"Because that's the only real fair tax because we have so many rental properties," Hendrex said.

The money would have been used for repairs to Mill Street and the city's 50-year-old swimming pool.

"We'll have to look elsewhere or put them on hold," Hendrex said.

The sales tax revenue also could have shored up the city's budget this year in light of projected decreases in state funding.

"We just don't know how much money we're going to get, and I'm sure our funds are going to go down," Hendrex said.