Ballots are trickling in for three school levy elections in school districts at opposite ends of the North Olympic Peninsula — and in the middle.
The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office has received back 239 ballots, or 19.7 percent, of 1,209 ballots in the Feb. 9 levy election in the Brinnon School District. The number also includes a few from Gardiner, where the Sequim School District lops over the county line.
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office had received by Monday 2,272 ballots out of 23,033 ballots — 9.8 percent — for levies in Sequim and Cape Flattery school districts and a levy lid lift in Clallam County Fire District No. 4 in Joyce.
All elections are mail-only, and ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Feb. 9 or postmarked by Feb. 9 if mailed.
The Brinnon School District two-year maintenance and operations replacement levy ballot measure asks voters to replace the levy to raise $572,000 over two years starting in 2011.
The Sequim School District levy measure would raise $4.05 million for Sequim’s public schools next year, $4.9 million in 2012 and $5.78 million in 2013.
A total of 2,110 ballots, or 10.28 percent, of the 20,527 ballots mailed to Clallam voters in the Sequim School District had been returned on Monday.
Sequim’s proposed levy replaces the current one — which expires at the end of this year — and raises the tax rate.
According to the Clallam County Auditor’s Office, 28, or 2.61 percent, of the 1,072 ballots mailed out in the Cape Flattery district, which includes Clallam Bay, Sekiu and Neah Bay, were returned by Monday.
The Cape Flattery replacement levy would bring $350,000 to the school district.
The Joyce Fire Department — Fire Protection District No. 4 — is asking voters to approve a levy lid lift to fund fire protection equipment, maintenance and operations.
So far, 134, or 9.34 percent, of the 1,434 ballots mailed have been returned.
If passed, the levy lid lift proposition would authorize the district to restore its 2010 regular property tax levy rate to an amount not to exceed 76 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation for collection in 2011.
The fire district unsuccessfully attempted a levy lid lift in November 2008.
