ATLANTA -- Voters across Georgia resoundingly rejected a plan to tax themselves to pay for extensive transportation improvements.

Atlanta-area voters were among those who rebuffed a penny increase in the state sales tax to fund projects in the area.

The promise by tax advocates of new jobs, improved roads and safety with citizen oversight was not enough to sway support for as much as $18.7 billion in new money statewide for roads, bridges and transit, plus additional federal money.

The referendum vote was the result of years of work at the statehouse to come up with a funding mechanism to pay for expanded transportation work.

In 2010, then-Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into law a bill that gave residents the final say on a 10-year, penny increase in the state sales tax to get area projects done.

For the referendum, the state was broken into 12 multi-county regions, with separate votes to authorize a list of local projects.

Nine of the statewide regions rejected the tax plan with only the Central Savannah, River Valley and Heart of Georgia districts approving the measure.

Voter approval in the three regions will authorize more than $1.8 billion in transportation work.

Citing distrust of government and splintered transportation desires, Atlanta-area voters rejected a plan to raise $8.5 billion over 10 years for 157 projects in 10 counties surrounding the city. The tally was 63 percent opposed and 37 percent in favor.

The results put more responsibility on local governments to come up with funding for transportation work. The two-year old law that created the tax vote mandated that regions rejecting the tax increase must pay a 30 percent match to receive state transportation funds. Areas endorsing the tax are responsible for putting up a 10 percent match.

The match disparity could see a legal challenge.

Gov. Nathan Deals administration has indicated the governor will work on a transportation plan for the states metropolitan areas.