Rockingham County will soon put in place a four-percent meals tax after voters passed the referendum Tuesday.

Fifty-four percent of voters countywide supported it, but a closer look at the precincts reveals what areas were the sources of that support.

Residents in the towns of Bridgewater and Dayton supported the tax 60 percent.

Restaurants in towns do not have to add the meals tax, but the towns' schools will benefit from the revenue.

In more rural areas of the county, like Fulks Run, Bergton and Swift Run where restaurants will need to add the tax, only 43 percent of voters favored of the tax.

Rockingham County school officials are expecting the new tax to bring in nearly $600,000 in the first year, but that was just one of the things voters weighed when making a decision.

"It's definitely going to add up. It's definitely going to make us not eat out more," says county resident Dawn Ribet.

The meals tax will affect all restaurants not in an incorporated town in Rockingham County, and Ribet says that's why she voted against it.

"Well because I think that the towns are going to be benefiting more from that than the county is," says Ribet.

Clarinda Hockett lives in the town of Bridgewater.

Restaurants in the town won't have to add the new tax, but residents will get the benefits of it, and that's why Hockett supported it.

"Because it would help out our school system and our school system needs help," says Hockett.

County resident Chris Runion says, while he does know many people against it, the tax is an optional expense.

"We did not have to choose to come out to dinner tonight. And we happened to come to a place here in Bridgewater, and we knew there was a meals tax here already. The town already collects a meals tax for their own budget," says Runion.

Even though Ribet has a son in the Rockingham County public school system and wants the schools to have a larger budget, she says the meals tax isn't the best answer.

"I mean I think there's other ways to make money for the schools. I mean there's bonus card programs out there that give back to the schools for parents who sign up for the bonus card. They give back to the schools," says Ribet.

There were some areas of the county outside of the incorporated towns that still supported the meals tax such as Keezletown and Massanetta Springs.

Many people say the amount of tourism in the county played a big part in their decision to support the tax.