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Amid cheers and victory hollers, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders on Tuesday night expressed gratitude for voters’ strong support for the county’s quarter-cent sales tax to battle drugs.

“It’s difficult to vote for a tax, even a renewal, in the teeth of a recession,” Sanders told supporters gathered at the Westport Flea Market.

Sanders had said he didn’t expect such overwhelming support for COMBAT, as the anti-drug tax is known.

“This is a great vote of confidence for the COMBAT tax,” Sanders said.

COMBAT — which stands for Community-backed Anti-Drug Tax — passed with more than 71 percent of the voters’ support, according to unofficial final returns. In Kansas City, the tax passed with 75 percent support; in Jackson County precincts outside Kansas City, 68 percent of voters favored it.

Turnout was low, with less than 7 percent of Kansas City’s registered voters casting ballots.

Sanders said county officials must still work to improve COMBAT programs.

Patrick Tuohey, editor of the Missouri Record, a Web-based political journal, had hoped for more support to retire the tax.

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