Sequim School District voters approved a $15 million capital projects levy in addition to a replacement Educational Programs and Operations levy, while other EP&O levies also were OK’d for Chimacum and Quillayute Valley school districts in Tuesday’s special election.
The Forks Community Hospital emergency medical services levy was resoundingly approved by 69.52 percent of voters to 30.48 percent opposed in the initial count of ballots.
The Queets-Clearwater levy EP&O replacement levy was approved.
The Clallam County voter turnout so far has been 40.03 percent — 12,846 out of the 32,092 ballots issued to voters — and 40.21 percent — 4,508 out of 11,212 — for Jefferson County.
The next ballot counts in the all-mail election will be by 4 p.m. Wednesday in both counties. The election will be certified Feb. 19.
Some 900 ballots were left to count in Clallam County and 429 ballots in Jefferson County. More ballots are expected to arrive in the mail later this week.
Not all registered voters in Clallam and Jefferson counties received ballots since the election pertained strictly to the affected voting districts.
The Sequim School District proposed two levies: a four-year, $29.7 million EP&O levy that replaces Sequim’s current local tax and pays for core learning functions not supported in the state’s basic education formula, and a four-year, $15 million capital projects levy to address school building issues.
Taxpayers in the district would pay between $1.87 ($1.24 for the EP&O levy, 63 cents for the capital projects levy) and $1.89 ($1.26/$0.63) per $1,000 of assessed value from 2022 through 2026, district officials said.
The Sequim School District capital projects levy passed with 6,726 votes, or 57.53 percent, to 4,965 votes, or 42.47 percent, opposed.
Had it been up to Jefferson County voters, the measure would be failing with 84 votes opposed, or 53.16 percent, and 74 votes, or 46.84 percent, in favor. But in Clallam County, the “aye” votes carried the measure, with 6,652 votes, or 57.68 percent, in favor and 4,881 votes, or 42.32 percent, opposed.
The Sequim School District EP&O levy passed with 6,493 votes, or 55.74 percent, in favor and 5,156 votes, or 44.26 percent, opposed.
The vote in Clallam County was 6,419 votes, or 55.86 percent, in favor to 5,072, or 44.14 percent, opposed, while in Jefferson County, the vote was 84 votes, or 53.16 percent, opposed, to 74 votes, or 46.84 percent, in favor.
The Quillayute Valley School District levy is a four-year EP&O levy of about $2.86 million to fill financial education gaps not funded by the state. It would have Forks-area taxpayers pay an estimated $1.25 and $1.16 per $1,000 of assessed value beginning in 2022.
It passed by 604 votes, or 56.71 percent, to 461 votes, or 43.29 percent, opposed.
In Clallam County, the vote was 579 votes, or 56.21 percent, to 451 votes, or 43.79 percent, opposed. In Jefferson County, it was 25 votes, or 71.43 percent, in favor, to 10 votes, or 28.57 percent, opposed.
The Chimacum School District replacement EP&O levy is a four-year levy that amounts to a total of $8.7 million to finance educational operations and maintenance. It would cost taxpayers about 86 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation in 2022 and would decrease each year to a low of 82 cents per $1,000 assessed value.
It passed by 2,834 votes, or 66.09 percent, to 1,454 votes, or 33.91 percent, opposed.
The Forks Community Hospital proposal would add an additional tax of 32 cents or less per $1,000 for six years for an estimated $1.176 million to help fund emergency medical care and services, according to the resolution passed by the Commission of Public Hospital District 1.
Voters approved it by 878 votes to 385 no votes.
The Queets-Clearwater School District EP&O replacement levy is a three-year levy, estimated at about $225,000. It would cost taxpayers an estimated $1.25 per $1,000 in assessed valuation each year starting in 2022 to finance maintenance and operation expenses.
It was approved by 63.64 percent, or 14 votes, with 36.36 percent, or eight votes, opposed.
