(KNZA)--The final vote count is in---the proposed half-cent sales tax initiative for health care services in Brown County was defeated by a 29-vote margin.

Meeting as a board of canvassers, the Brown County Commission Tuesday morning counted 26 of the 51 provisional ballots cast in the May 21 special election.  That made the final vote tally, 1,097 in favor to 1,126 against.

Twenty-five of the provisional ballots were not counted mainly because the voters had failed to register by the required deadline.

Provisional ballots are used to record a vote when there are questions about a given voter’s eligibility to vote, such an address change, name change or not having a photo ID at the polling location. 

The unofficial results the evening of May 21 showed the issue being defeated by a 35-vote margin.

The proposed 10-year sales tax was projected to raise more than $750,000 annually.   80 percent of the proceeds would have gone to the Hiawatha Community Hospital and 20 percent to the city of Horton for healthcare services in the southern Brown Community.

Facing financial problems, the Hiawatha Community Hospital sought the tax support.

Hospital CEO John Broberg, in a statement released to MSC News following last week's unofficial results, said he planned to meet with the county again soon to explore other tax options that could benefit the hospital.