Pullman bond passes; districts pass levies

Although votes lagged a bit before the election deadline, voters in the Pullman School District pulled through and the bond passed comfortably with more than 78 percent approval.

The general obligation bond is for $53.5 million over 20 years and will allow the district to build a new Pullman High School and new classroom at Franklin Elementary. Homeowners will pay $1.60 per $1,000 assessed value or if a home is assessed at $200,000, the owner will pay $320 more a year.

The bond needed 4,048 votes to validate the election . As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, 4,216 votes were cast. Of those, 3,300 votes were in favor of the bond and only 916 against it. With the state-mandated 60 percent, only 2,529 votes were needed to approve the bond.

Elections officials said 15,194 ballots were mailed out to Pullman School District voters and about 8,000 voters didn’t return ballots.

The only levy in trouble at this point is Rosalia’s with a little more than 59 percent approving the levy. Election officials said Tuesday night that one ballot could make the difference if the levy is approved or not.

Rosalia’s levy proposed a 62 cent per $1,000 assessed value to collect $60,000 for capital improvements and regular maintenance on city streets.

The school districts in Lamont, Palouse, Garfield, and Colton were passing levies comfortably.

Garfield’s cemetery district voters are approving a special tax to operate and maintain the cemetery.

The next ballot count is Friday and the election will be certified Feb. 26.

Pullman School District: General obligation bond for $53.5 million over 20 years to construct a new Pullman High School and new classroom at Franklin Elementary. Estimated annual levy for bond fund at $1.60 per $1,000 assessed value.

Yes 3,300 78.27 %

No 916 21.73 %

Lamont School District-Maintenance and operation levy for $135,000 for 2014 and 2015 tax years. Estimated rate of $3.78 per $1,000 assessed value each year.

Yes 43 72.88 %

No 16 27.12 %

Palouse School District: Maintenance and operation levy of $450,000 for the 2014 and 2015 tax years at an estimated levy rate of $4.57 per $1,000 assessed for each year.

Yes 364 77.12 %

No 108 22.88 %

Garfield School District: Maintenance and operation levy of $235,000 for 2014 and $240,000 in 2015 at estimated levy rates of $3.77 and $3.85 for $1000 of assessed valuation.

Yes 181 79.04 %

No 48 20.96 %

Garfield capital improvement levy of $25,000 for 2014 and for 2015 at estimated rate of 40 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Yes 186 80.87 %

No 44 19.13 %

Colton School District: Maintenance and operation levy of $483,895 for 2014 tax year at an estimated rate of $4.32 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Yes 285 75.80 %

No 91 24.20 %

Town of Rosalia: Special levy for $60,000 for city street fund at estimated rate of 62 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Yes 85 59.44 %

No 58 40.56 %

Garfield Cemetery District: Maintenance and operation levy for $25,000 in 2014 tax year at a rate of 42 cents per $1,000 of valuation.

Yes 167 79.90 %

No 42 20.10 %