ST. LOUIS • The city's quest to renew its 1 percent earnings tax easily won at the polls Tuesday, passing by an almost 3-to-1 margin.

With all 222 city precincts reporting, the measure won with 33,081 votes in favor and 12,677 votes against — or about 72-28 percent.

The re-authorization, on the St. Louis city ballot as Proposition E, will keep in place the current tax on the earnings of those who live or work in St. Louis. It brings in about $160 million a year — roughly one-third of the city's annual general revenue.

The issue has created a showdown between Mayor Francis Slay, who has lobbied for its passage, and conservative activist Rex Sinquefield, who has spent about $2 million campaigning against it.

Slay, who counts Sinquefield as his largest donor, gave $100,000 of his campaign money to a last-minute effort to preserve the tax.