All levies pass on election night

Whitman County election results Tuesday night show all levy proposals surpassed the 60 percent threshold of yes votes.

Voters in Pullman approved a $23.5 million bond that will allow the district to construct a new elementary school. The bond netted a 68 percent approval rate. School district officials have cited growing numbers of students along with the state mandate to lower class sizes as the need for a new elementary school.

The district plans to construct the new school at the north end of the city on Military Hill in Pullman toward the top of Terre View Drive, where new home construction has been taking place. Ahead of the vote this week, the district purchased the land for $430,000, with those funds coming from existing district funds.

The new elementary school will be the fourth in Pullman and second on Military Hill. The other two elementary schools are located on Sunnyside Hill and Pioneer Hill, both located at the south end of the city.

The bond measure required 60 percent approval.

Pullman voters also approved a four-year $21.6 million replacement levy for education with a 76 percent approval rating.

In Colfax, voters approved the two-year $2.575 million replacement maintenance and operation levy. The levy will be funded at an approximate rate of $3.14 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2017 and $3.16 per $1,000 in 2018.

Colton School District voters neared 80 percent approval for the one-year $512,165 maintenance and operation levy. That levy comes at a rate of $3.76 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for collection in 2017.

In Endicott and St. John, three levies were met with voter approval.

Endicott voters authorized a two-year $660,000 replacement maintenance and operation levy for the school with 72 percent voting yes. That levy comes in at $3.22 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in both 2017 and 2018.

St. John voters had a two-year replacement maintenance and operation levy for $960,000 and a two-year capital levy for technology, safety and security improvements for $200,000 on the ballot. Both measures passed, with the maintenance and operation levy garnering 73 percent of the vote and the capital levy garnering 69 percent of the vote.

In Oakesdale, where a ballot mishap was noted prior to the election, the school district’s three-year $2,029,800 replacement maintenance and operation levy received a 63 percent approval. That levy will be funded at a rate of $3.75 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for 2017, 2018 and 2019. The ballot mishap, which involved 25 Oakesdale voters mistakenly being sent ballots for the Tekoa election, was corrected prior to the election, and everyone who previously received the wrong ballot was able to receive the correct one on time.

Also in Oakesdale, voters had a park and recreation levy to consider. The levy called for a tax of $20,000 at $0.12 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2017 to replace the pool boiler. It was approved with 82 percent of the vote.

In Rosalia, voters passed a $1.19 million two-year replacement maintenance and operation levy with a 69 percent approval rating. That levy will be funded at $3.24 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2017 and at $3.20 in 2018.

The Steptoe school levy won by the widest margin of all levies, taking an 89 percent approval, with 82 yes votes to 10 no votes. The $220,000 replacement maintenance and operation levy will be funded for two years at $2.86 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Tekoa voters had a school levy to consider, as well as a park and recreation district levy which had been on the November ballot and failed by one vote.

The two-year $730,000 replacement maintenance and operation school levy passed at 74 percent and will be funded at $4.83 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2017 and 2018.

The park and recreation levy also passed. The $160,000 levy, which will be funded at $5.89 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, passed at 68 percent. After the previous levy failed in November, the Tekoa park and recreation board made plans to have the new measure fund the operation of the Tekoa swim pool and parks for two years. The board previously said they would seek financing if the levy was approved to finance funds for operations this year. Part of the levy funds will be used to pay off the financing for the 2016 operation, and the levy funds will be collected in 2017 and 2018.

Endicott Rural Fire District 6 asked voters for approval of $40,000 of a four-year period, with proceeds projected to be used to provide a new tanker truck for the district. The tanker truck is projected to be in the range of 1,200 to 1,500 gallons, and estimated rate of the levy is $0.53 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for collection in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2019. The approval rate for the levy was 89 percent.

Totals count of ballots returned as of Tuesday night was 6,343, for a 35 percent voter turnout. In Colfax, 43 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.