SEQUIM — The $49.3 million Sequim School District construction bond Tuesday remained shy of the 60 percent supermajority required for passage in the first round of votes tallied by the Clallam County Auditor’s Office.
Also, the first count of votes indicates at least one candidate for the Sequim School Board was in a commanding lead in one race, with the other two races more closely contested.
As of Tuesday, the district’s construction bond had garnered 4,291 yes votes, or 57.24 percent of the vote, to 3,205 no votes, or 42.76 percent of the vote, according to results issued Tuesday by Clallam County Auditor Shoona Riggs.
That number includes votes cast by eligible voters living in the Sequim District in both Jefferson and Clallam counties.
In Jefferson County, the bond garnered 71 yes votes, or 56.8 percent of the vote, to 54 no votes, or 43.2 percent of the vote, according to results issued Tuesday.
In Clallam County, the bond garnered 4,220 yes votes, or 57.25 percent of the vote, to 3,151 no votes, or 42.75 percent of the vote.
Both county auditors said that the bulk of ballots in the all-mail election came in Monday and Tuesday, and expected more this week.
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office counted 13,761 ballots on Tuesday night out of 47,481 mailed to registered voters, for a voter turnout of 29 percent in the all-mail election, Auditor Shoona Riggs said.
Another 3,998 ballots were processed but not counted Tuesday and perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 more were placed in drop boxes and await processing, she said. More ballots are likely to arrive in the mail.
The next count will be by 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office counted 10,148 ballots on Tuesday night for a voter turnout of 44.17 percent, said Betty Johnson, elections coordinator.
The next count will be at about noon Friday, she said.
If the bond measure is approved with a 60 percent supermajority — the amount needed for passage — the bond money would go toward building a new elementary school, renovating and expanding four existing facilities, and demolishing a fifth one.
“Friday is a long time to hold our breath, but we can do it,” Gary Neal, Sequim School District interim superintendent, said Tuesday following receipt of the first count results while congregating with other supporters at the Emerald Northwest Grill & Public House in Sequim.
“Until then, it is business as usual and we are going to keep on cranking out great students.”
School Board first count
In the Position 1 contest, Robin Henrikson, 37, an assistant professor of education at Seattle Pacific University School of Education, had garnered 3,572 votes, or 56.69 percent; while Heather Jeffers, 43, executive director of the Life Care Center of Port Townsend, won 2,729 votes, or 43.31 percent.
Jeffers had been appointed to the position in August 2014 to fill the unexpired term of Sarah Bedinger who resigned in June that year.
In the Position 3 race, Jim Stoffer, 55, who is retired from the Coast Guard, won 3,489 votes, or 55.4 percent, while Charla Wright, 50, director of social services at Avamere Olympic Rehabilitation of Sequim, garnered 2,809 votes, or 44.6 percent.
In the Position 5 race, Heather Short, 38, a veterinarian, won 4,818 votes, or 73.84 percent, while William Payne, 58, an attorney, drew 1,707 votes, or 26.16 percent.
Two previous attempts to pass a construction bond failed.
Voters defeated a $154 million measure by a 56-44 percent margin in April 2014.
A $49.2 million bond last February received 6,691 yes votes to 5,026 no votes — 57.11 percent to 42.89 percent — but fell short of the required 60 percent supermajority.
The measure appearing on Tuesday’s ballot was similar to the defeated measure appearing last February.
However, because of changes in the real estate market, the bond would raise $35,000 more money than the previous measure would have produced, but at a tax rate 3 cents less per $1,000 of assessed fair-market value, school officials said.
In lieu of the adjustment, property owners would be taxed at a rate of 69 cents per $1,000 of assessed property evaluation in 2016, Brian Lewis, school district business manager, has said.
If approved, the bond will be used renovate and expand to renovate and expand Greywolf Elementary, build a new school, renovate Helen Haller to house Olympic Peninsula Academy — for altenative education — renovate and expand Sequim High School, demolish a Sequim Community School building and upgrade the district kitchen and maintenance facility.
The bond also would fund a new science wing of six laboratory classrooms at Sequim High and add band, orchestra and choir rooms to the performing arts wing.
Music students currently must cross the street to attend classes in the former Sequim Community School.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
