Moses Lake, Wahluke levees failing in updated election results
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 6 months AGO
Royal High School dance team members perform at a game in early February. Royal School District voters are approving an educational programs and operations levy that pays for extracurricular activities among other things.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | February 19, 2024 1:38 PM
EPHRATA — A two-year educational programs and operations levy in the Moses Lake School District is failing, and so is a capital levy proposal in the Wahluke School District, in updated vote totals from the Feb. 13 special election released Friday afternoon.
Other levy proposals in Grant County are passing as of Friday.
The MLSD levy has 3,724 no votes to 3,570 yes votes, about 51% voting no. The levy needed 50% to pass.
The two-year proposal would replace the existing levy, but district officials are asking for an increase in the levy assessment, up to $2 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The existing levy is $1.50 per $1,000.
District officials said they requested an increase because MLSD is projected to lose state funding.
The WSD capital levy has 326 no votes to 274 yes votes, about 54.4% rejecting the request. District officials were asking for 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to pay for upgrades to the heating-cooling system at Mattawa Elementary and the Wahluke High School gym, as well as upgrades to the WHS track and tennis courts, and lights at the high school soccer field.
Royal School District patrons are easily approving a two-year EP&O levy proposal, 380 yes votes to 206 no votes, 64.8% voting yes. Property owners would pay $1.72 per $1,000 in the first year and $1.67 in the second year.
Warden School District voters are saying yes to two proposals. Voters have cast 213 yes votes to 151 no votes for a two-year EP&O levy, 58.5% approving. A two-year technology levy has 207 yes votes and 144 no votes for 59% approval.
The EP&O levy will be $2.20 per $1,000 in the first year and $2.30 in the second year. The technology levy will be 20 cents per $1,000 both years.
A four-year proposal is passing in Soap Lake with 58.5% approval, 398 yes votes to 276 no votes. The levy rate will be $2.29 per $1,000 each year.
Voters in the Wilson Creek School District are approving a two-year proposal, for $2.50 per $1,000. The proposal has 87 yes votes and 36 no votes.
Grant County Fire District 8 voters are approving a six-year EMS levy, 358 yes votes to 170 no votes, 67.8% approving. It would replace the existing levy, and the levy rate will be unchanged at 50 cents per $1,000.
Updated vote totals for both Adams and Grant counties will be released today. The election will be certified Friday.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
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