The voters used a 'back door' referendum to say No to a tax hike in the Herscher school district.

The District 2 school board had tried to borrow up to $3 million to cover lack of state funding from the state. But voters successfully petitioned to put the matter on the ballot.

The referendum was defeated by a vote of 1,723-1,055 in Kankakee County. Parts of neighboring counties also voted against the measure. It lost in smaller sections of the school district in Iroquois, Ford, Grundy and Livingston counties. Iroquois County results showed 11 in favor and 16 against.

Without the back door referendum, the school board could have raised property taxes without voter approval, had the referendum not happened.

94.1 FM, WGFA