PORT TOWNSEND — Voters soundly defeated a $3 million bond measure to fund Port Townsend Library renovations.
“This has opened a community discussion which was definitely needed,” said Rick Jahnke, who campaigned against the measure.
“We all love the libraries. We can move forward with better leadership and more equitable funding and have a great library.”
The measure, which required a 60 percent supermajority for approval, received the reverse with 2,206 votes, or 61.3 percent, opposed to 1,392 votes, or 38.6 percent, in favor after the first ballot count issued Tuesday night.
Sheila Khalov, who campaigned in favor of the measure, said she was surprised at the wide margin of defeat.
“I do want to thank all of the people who supported us,” Khalov said.
“We have a wonderful library and want to make sure that continues.”
As of Tuesday, Port Townsend voters had returned 3,917 of 7,246 ballots issued, or 49,92 percent, which Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge said measures up to other off-year election percentage totals.
Betty Johnson, Jefferson County voter registration coordinator, said that all the ballots received by mail through Tuesday have been counted, but that ballots left in drop boxes are yet to be counted.
Eldridge expects those ballots, plus those postmarked Tuesday that arrive today or later this week, to number between 500 and 700.
The next count will be at about noon Friday.
Proposition 1 asked for Port Townsend voters’ approval for the city’s issuing up to $3 million in general obligation bonds to pay for renovation and expansion of the Carnegie Library portion of the complex at 1220 Lawrence St.
The estimated tax cost was 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. For an owner of a $200,000 home, the tax would be $28 per year.
The money was earmarked for a $4.3 million project to build a new, two-story addition in place of one constructed in 1990. The addition would create space for collections and have a top-floor community meeting place.
The library has been located in the Mountain View Campus, 1919 Blaine St., since March 2012 when it vacated the Carnegie location to accommodate a seismic retrofit.
The library stayed in its temporary location beyond the expected eight months when expansion advocates sought to find funding for the full renovation with the bond issue.
Now that the measure is defeated, the city will work on a plan for the future of the library, according to City Manager David Timmons.
“We are not going to make any rush decisions,” Timmons said.
“We need to nominate new library board members and figure out what we need to do before we move back in since there is some minor work that needs to be done before that happens.”
Timmons said that the library probably won’t move into the Carnegie location before the first part of next year.
______
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
