PORT TOWNSEND – A levy lid lift to maintain Jefferson County Library’s existing level of services was handily winning by Tuesday night, after the first tally of library district voter ballots were reported.
The measure was passing by 4,889 to 2,976, or 62.15 percent to 37.84 percent.
For the Jefferson County Library levy lid lift, 14,374 ballots were mailed out, with 7,937 returned Tuesday night, or 55.22 percent.
To win, the levy lid lift required a simple 50 percent-plus-1 majority.
“I never thought it would go this high,” said a visibly elated Jefferson County Library Director Ray Serebrin, who was celebrating with his wife, Nancy, and other library supporters at the Auditor’s Office just after the first tally was released at 8 Tuesday night.
“This is the highest passage of a levy lid lift in the state,” Serbrin said, adding that a similar measure in Spokane passed by only a 58.5 percent margin.
Serebrin said he believed the victory was the result of his staff “giving good service to the community.”
The existing maintenance and operations levy rate is 42 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, with the proposal asking voters to approve a penny more, 43 cents per $1,000.
That would mean the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $86 a year.
The 1-cent revenue increase request came after it was learned that Chimacum School District will be reassessed this year.
