One of the most contentious issues in recent state history, a regional 1-percent sales tax for potential road and transit projects, was rejected by voters throughout Georgia Tuesday.With incomplete results as of press time, in the 10-county Coastal Region, which includes Bulloch County, voters overwhelmingly voted no to a penny tax that state officials projected would collect approximately $1.6 billion dollars in revenue for the area. More than 57 percent of region voters, including nearly 53 percent in Bulloch County (4,802 to 4,323), rejected the measure commonly referred to as TSPLOST. The referendum fell flat in all but four of the Coastal Region’s counties — Long, Liberty Bryan and Screven.Counties that comprise the Coastal Region are: Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh and Screven.State leaders said the tax would have directly invested in transportation infrastructure to connect communities, reduced congestion and improved roadway safety while generating new jobs and more than $2 billion in direct and indirect economic activity. Voters turned down the motion despite a strong push by area business leaders and Gov.