Sales tax hike could make April's ballot by Tuesday

By Tuesday night, voters in Whiteside County may have a second chance to vote on a 1-cent sales tax hike for school infrastructure. Eight school boards - Erie, River Bend, Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico, East Coloma, Morrison, Rock Falls High School, Montmorency and Riverdale - all are scheduled to vote on resolutions this week to place a sales tax hike referendum on April's ballot. Last month, county voters rejected a sales tax hike 14,670 to 10,836, or 58 percent to 42 percent. To make the ballot, school boards that represent at least 51 percent of the student population in the county need to pass resolutions calling for the question. Last week, Rock Falls Elementary District 13 was the first in the county to begin the process by passing its