PORT ANGELES — Levy yes, bond no.
That was the resounding message that Port Angeles School District voters had for the education officials after votes were tallied Tuesday night in a special election.
The district’s $98.25 million, 25-year high school replacement bond was losing with 4,165 yes votes,or 48.9 percent, to 4,336 no votes, or 51.01 percent.
It was falling far short of the 60 percent supermajority needed for passage.
The district’s other measure on the ballot, a two-year maintenance and operations levy, had 5,313 yes votes, or 62.4 percent, to 3,201 no votes, or 37.6 percent.
It is far surpassing the simple majority needed for passage.
It replaces a four-year levy that expires in December and will cost taxpayers an estimated $3.26 per $1,000 of valuation.
Steve Methner, co-chairman of the pro-bond, pro-levy Port Angeles Citizens for Education, conceded defeat on the bond measure
Tuesday night.
“It’s statistically pretty unlikely that we would see a supermajority happen at the end of this,” he said.
“The community’s support of the levy certainly shows the community cares about education.”
Bond supporters have pledged to go before voters again to address structural issues at hihg school, where some buildings are 61 years old.
“We need to bridge the gap over the community on what to do over at the high school,” Methner lamented.
“We just need to find out how to connect with our fellow ‘Riders in a way that gets us where we need to be, which is to get the high school.”
The last day to file a resolution for the next special election April 28 is March 13.
But bond critic Kaj Ahlburg said the bond was too big for voters to swallow.
“I know it’s going to come back,” he said Tuesday night.
“They need to come back with a smaller bond. They were just asking for too much.”
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office counted Tuesday night 21,128 ballots out of 45,156 mailed to registered voters, for a voter turnout of 46.95 percent in special elections for five property tax measures.
Auditor Shoona Riggs said all ballots received by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday were counted that night.
She expected about 500 more to come in during the week.
The next scheduled count will be by 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The levy will collect $8.6 million in 2016 and $8.8 million in 2017.
It will pay for utilities, student transportation, extracurricular activities, health services, maintenance, technology, career technical education and basic education.
The levy will cost an estimated $2.06 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, based on 2014 property values, or a total of $412 a year for the owner of a $200,000 home.
Of the 19,127 ballots mailed to registered voters in the Port Angeles School District, 8,514 voters cast ballots in the levy election for a voter turnout of 44.5 percent as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
There were 8,501 voters who cast ballots in the bond election, a 44.4 percent turnout.
The bond would have funded replacement of all high school academic buildings and refurbished the auditorium, also known as the performing arts center.
Two bonds costing a total of 46 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation will expire at the end of this year.
Business leaders grilled Port Angeles School District officials at a Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon over the bond at luncheon meeting during the campaign.
Questions ranged from the energy efficiency of the new school design and details of how the taxes would be applied to the question of if a school could be built for less money.
Kelly Pearson, district finance and operations director, said a high school that will fit the current and near-future population of about 1,100 students cannot be built for much less unless the district sacrifices basic quality of construction.
“We won’t be coming back with a smaller bond amount,” Pearson promised at the meeting.
With construction costs rising and the current record-low interest rates, the cost of building a new school may remain the same for about a year but would likely go up by about 4 percent each year, bond supporters have said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
