Cass County residents made their voices heard in Tuesday's election, overwhelmingly voting against Texarkana College's proposed annexation of the college's service portion of the county.
The measure failed with 7,251 voting against and 1,965 in favor, according to complete but unofficial results.
Texarkana College President James Henry Russell said the vote was loud and clear in Cass County.
"They have sent a very clear message and we have heard it and received it and we respect it," he said.
Russell added that he has greatly enjoyed the past few months getting to know the people in the county and that the proposal increased the importance of the need for a higher education credential in the workforce.
"I think we saw just how reluctant the country is right now to consider the word 'tax,' regardless of the size or benefits it might bring," he said.
TC was asking for $ .111 per $100 valuation to increase dual credit opportunities for high school students in their service portion of the county, which includes Atlanta, Bloomburg, Linden-Kildare, McLeod and Queen City school districts. The proposal would have also allowed Cass County students to pay in-district tuition, a savings of $795 per semester, and would have funded a workforce training center in Atlanta, providing vocational classes.
Russell said they would continue to focus on the success they have had in bringing the fiscal operations to a sound status and increasing graduation rates and academic accomplishments in the last couple of years.
For TC's future in Cass County, Russell said that is a decision the board of trustees would have to make.
"Right now, I don't think it will be up for discussion," he said. "The will of the people in Cass County is very clear."
Overall, there was a record turnout of approximately 12,600 of 18,851 registered voters in Cass County.