The third try was the charm.

Preliminary results for the Bayfield sales tax increase showed a clear approval by voters, with 68 percent of voters casting "yes" votes.

Out of 577 votes cast, a whopping turnout for a vote in the Town of Bayfield, 187 voters said no to the one-cent sales tax increase, and 390 said yes.

"I'm pretty excited!" said Jackie Morlan, who headed up the Save Our Streets Committee, a citizens group that advocated for the tax.

Bayfield voters previously had voted down the sales tax in two separate municipal elections.

"I think this time, everybody did a little piece, everybody on our committee," Morlan said. "No one spent hours and hours on this. I'm just so glad that people listened to the media and read newspapers and become informed."

The town has 34 surface miles of pavement at an estimated backlog of $1.3 million in street maintenance and $1.7 million in storm water drainage, according to the committee. Without the sales tax increase, Bayfield residents would be looking at increased fees for natural gas and LPEA franchises, parks and recreation participants, and a new storm water enterprise fund that would have been added to the utility bills of town residents.

The sales tax was promoted as a fairer way of raising fees because people who live outside town limits, as well as visitors, would be helping pay for street maintenance.