PORT TOWNSEND — Since election results for a proposed fire services levy lid lift are too close to call, the Port Townsend City Council has drafted two versions of its levy request to the county assessor.
Both ordinances received their first reading at Monday’s meeting and require a second reading before becoming official.
The first ordinance, assuming the measure passes, requests a levy increase that will generate $738,988.42 that will be used to support fire and emergency services within the Port Townsend city limit.
The second version requests an amount that does not include the additional revenue.
The proposed levy lid lift, which needs only a simple majority to pass, now leads by seven votes — 2,086 votes, or 50.08 percent, approving the measure to 2,079 votes, or 49.92 percent, rejecting it.
No additional ballot counts will be done prior to the Nov. 29 certification of the election or until 250 ballots arrive, said Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge.
Since the last count of Nov. 8 general election ballots Nov. 10, the office has received 39 ballots countywide that await tabulation, said elections coordinator Karen Cartmel.
The timing of City Council meetings, state requirements for property tax requests and the certification of the election has required this action.
The City Council is scheduled to meet Nov. 28, one day before election certification, and the levy requests are due to Jefferson County Assessor Jack Westerman by Nov. 30.
The city received conflicting advice as to how to handle the situation from Westerman and the state Department of Revenue.
The state advised the city to craft one resolution covering the two possibilities, while Westerman advised two resolutions because “having just one resolution would require including lots of detailed language which would make it hard for people to understand.”
The city followed Westerman’s advice but may craft a single resolution, according to City Manager David Timmons.
If the city does not develop a single resolution, then the one that does not reflect election results will be rescinded, most likely in a December meeting, Timmons said.
If it is finally approved, the levy lid lift would authorize a maximum levy rate for collection in 2012 of $2.4868 per $1,000 assessed value, an increase of about 43 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
The increase is restricted to providing for fire protection, prevention and emergency services by contract with East Jefferson Fire-Rescue to match the contribution of residents in the unincorporated area of East Jefferson County.
On Nov. 29, all votes that have not been tabulated will be entered into the tabulator, and the final results will be announced prior to the certification.
The certification will be at 8:30 a.m. in the Auditor’s Office on the first floor of the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
Per state law, a ballot measure does not trigger an automatic recount and can pass or fail with a single-vote margin.
Any citizen “of standing” can request a recount but must pay 25 cents per vote, according to the law.
Aside from the levy vote, there are two races too close to call.
Deborah Stinson is edging Jack Range by 19 votes for Port Townsend City Council Position 3, which is being vacated by Laurie Medlicott.
Stinson, who won the Jefferson County Heart of Service award earlier this year, had 1,967 votes, or 50.24 percent, while Range, an investigator for Jefferson Associated Counsel, had 1,948 votes, or 49.76 percent, in the latest tally.
Herb Beck has a six-vote lead over Debbie Randal for a position on the Quilcene Fire Department commission, having won 383 votes, or 50.39 percent, to Randall’s 377 votes, or 49.61 percent.
If the current totals hold, the City Council race will trigger an automatic recount while the Quilcene race will not, Eldridge said.
An automatic recount will take place if the final vote spread is less than half of 1 percent.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
