Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Farmington voters passed both a street improvement and maintenance levy last week in the primary after having three similar levies turned down last November.
“It’s good news,” said Mayor Ron Dugan. “Hopefully the town has confidence in their government to spend the money wisely and efficiently.”
The votes were close. Needing a 60 percent majority to pass, the $10,000 street maintenance levy, proposition one, passed by a margin of three votes, and the $15,000 general fund levy passed by two votes.
“I’m happy that it passed,” said Dugan.
The latest vote results were 29-15 for streets and 28-16 for Prop. 2. Whitman County elections officials reported Tuesday that just two ballots from Farmington were pulled from the count for a validity review by the county’s canvass board. The board meets Aug. 20 and 21 to review questioned ballots.
Revenue from the levies would not appear on the Farmington books until the levies are placed on the tax rolls and next year’s first-half payments begin to arrive at the treasurer’s office.
The money will be used to expand what is now a Public Works department that operates 20 hours per week. It was reduced to that at the first of the year after the levies failed last November.
Dugan indicated he didn’t know yet how the money will be spent.
“I have a list of 22 maintenance projects that have been put off,” Dugan said.
Last year’s three levies included one for equipment. This year’s ballot had no equipment provision.
Overall, Mayor Dugan said he is deciphering and learning about the best ways for the funds to be used.
“The longer I’m mayor, the more I have a feel for what needs to be spent,” he said.
Leading up to the levy vote, Farmington residents had been volunteering to complete tasks such as cutting grass on town property.
When the levy ballots went out in July, Dugan said a few items weren’t getting done in town, due to the lack of funds. These were road grading, dust suppression, roofing on park structures, weed control and taking care of gravel and junk on streets.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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