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Kane County Voters Reject Tax Hike To Fund Disabled Programs

(CBS) -- Voters in Kane County have overwhelmingly rejected a proposed property tax increase that would have paid for programs for the developmentally disabled.

"We're disappointed. We put a lot of work into this; a lot of effort," said Chuck Miles, the parent of a 22-year-old developmentally disabled daughter.

Kane County Voters Reject Tax Hike To Fund Disabled Programs

Miles – chairman of the Association for Individual Development – helped organize the "Show You Care" campaign to raise Kane County property taxes by about $55 a year for the average homeowner. The referendum would have provided $13 million in funding for programs to help disabled residents who have been impacted by state budget cuts.

"It would have opened up services, transportation, jobs, jobs training," he said. "It would have brought jobs to Kane County, in terms of providing rehab for housing, and also for the therapists that are so desperately needed."

Despite a massive push by high-profile supporters, more than 63 percent of people who voted in Kane County rejected the measure on Tuesday.

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