PORT TOWNSEND — A proposition to raise sales tax to boost anemic revenues for Jefferson County and city of Port Townsend was passing handily after the first round of election results were tallied Tuesday night.
Proposition 1, which would raise the Jefferson County sales tax rate by .3 percent to 8.7 percent for public safety, youth and senior services, health services and basic government services, was being approved by 7,090 votes, or 55.61 percent, to 5,659 votes, or 44.39 percent against.
The tally showed that 967 did not vote on the countywide measure.
“I’m gratified that the public has recognized the value of those services and has chosen to fund them even in this economic climate,” said county Administrator Philip Morley.
“In this economic climate, one does not presume that any measure to fund public services will pass,” Morley said.
“I’ve been budgeting with the presumption that we need to make the cuts,” he adding, saying that he would now restore those into his recommended budget “and I am delighted to do it.”
Ron Gregory, chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party Gregory, said the results were “a big, big disappointment.”
“Perhaps we don’t need to have county government since Port Townsend runs the county,” Gregory said.
The proposal, which would raise 3 cents on every $10 spent, would take effect April 1 and collect a projected $506,000 in 2011.
Approval would raise the county’s sales tax above those of surrounding counties.
Both Kitsap County and Clallam County have an 8.4 percent sales tax. In Sequim, sales tax is 8.6 percent.
Forty percent of the tax increase revenue would go to the city of Port Townsend, which has agreed to use half of its share to support the Port Townsend Community Center and Memorial Field for up to four years.
The remainder would offset the county’s projected 2010 revenue shortfall of $1.1 million.
“The way that I see it is, it’s a vote for Jefferson County community values more so than a vote for the city coffers,” Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval said.
County Commissioner David Sullivan said he had been cautiously optimist but was happy with the results Tuesday night.
“I’m just real pleased that we gave the community this choice, and they rose to the occasion. It’s very hard to raise your own taxes.
Sullivan said the areas of county government that were most vulnerable, such as public safety, would now be given some longer term security.
“I think people really saw the value in all these programs,” he said.
The auditor’s office counted 13,716 ballots, 63.07 percent of the 21,761 ballots mailed to voters.
The office had about 981 uncounted ballots in hand, Eldridge said.
Those ballots, plus ballots received in the coming days with a postmark of Tuesday or before, are expected to be counted at about noon Friday.
Sheriff Tony Hernandez, whose department would have been most affected if Proposition 1 did not pass, said he was pleased.
“But by no means is our work over as elected officials because this is a temporary fix with county government,” he said.
“This will allow us to step back and reprioritize and reset our approach.”
Had Propostion 1 lost, it would have been nothing less than a “disaster” for the sheriff’s office, which would have lost one deputy position, one animal control officer and safety training costing about $175,000,
Hernandez said.
Gregory filed a complaint with the Public Disclosure Commission on Monday, charging that Morley had openly advocated a ballot proposition to raise the sales tax.
Adter the results were announced Tuesday, Morley said, “My role throughout this has not been to advocate one way or the other.
“My role has been to simply information the public and be prepared for whatever they decide.”
_________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
