Tails never fails
Jeff Selle | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 10 months AGO
<p>Melissa DeMotte, left, and Toni Sumerliin chat in a waiting area Friday prior to a coin toss to determine the winner of a tie in the May 21 election of the Alpine Meadows Water and Sewer District board seats at the Kootenai County Administration Building in Coeur d'Alene.</p>
<p>Kootenai County Clerk Cliff Hayes shows an official Idaho quarter to both parties of the Alpine Meadows Water and Sewer District race prior to the coin toss.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - The election for a seat on the board of the Alpine Meadows Water and Sewer District drew a total of 19 votes, but one ballot was invalidated, leaving a total of 18 legal votes.
The problem is each candidate got nine votes each.
In Idaho that means the county clerk has to toss a coin to settle the election.
On Friday, immediately after Kootenai County commissioners canvassed the May 21 election results, County Clerk Cliff Hayes showed up with a commemorative Idaho quarter in hand.
Melissa DeMotte, who was listed on the ballot, and write-in candidate Toni Sumerlin inspected the coin.
"Melissa will call the coin because she was listed on the ballot," Hayes said.
She called tails.
Hayes flipped the coin and it landed tails up.
DeMotte and Sumerlin immediately hugged each other and Sumerlin congratulated DeMotte on her win.
John Jones, vice chairman of the water district, said the race was contested largely over the issue of water system upgrades.
The district has secured a $1.8 million loan from Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to upgrade the water system's underground pipes and to install a backup power system in case of power outages.
To repay the loan the district will have to raise its monthly utility fees of $36.50 to $84.50 to pay off a five-year bond. The water district only serves 103 customers.
"I am really pleased with how hard the board worked to get the grant," DeMotte said. "I love living there, so I ran for the board because I wanted to be a part of the group that is working to fix the system."
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