PORT TOWNSEND — A Jefferson County resident has filed a complaint with the state Public Disclosure Commission alleging that a Port Townsend School Board member’s wearing of a button in support of the recently approved school levy constituted improper electioneering.
Jefferson County resident Tom Thiersch filed the complaint Tuesday, which was Election Day.
He alleges that Holley Carlson’s wearing of a campaign button during a Jan. 30 School Board meeting violated a statute that prohibits electioneering by a School Board member while on school property.
Superintendent Gene Laes said wearing the button did not represent a violation of existing statutes.
Carlson declined to comment.
PDC spokeswoman Lori Anderson confirmed the complaint had been received and that it would be examined over the next few weeks to determine whether any action would be taken. Anderson said a range of possibilities exists.
The agency could impose a fine of up to $10,000 or decide no action was warranted.
Buttons ‘off the table’
While not addressing the specific case, Anderson said buttons fall under individual expression and are generally “off the table” for the PDC.
Voters on Tuesday approved a four-year Port Townsend capital levy by 61.2 percent, with 3,383 approving it and 2,044, or 37 percent, rejecting it out of 5,527 votes cast.
Thiersch, who opposed the levy, said he filed the action Tuesday because he didn’t want to influence the outcome of the election.
“If the levy passed, I wouldn’t want this to be seen as in any way retaliatory. If it failed, I wouldn’t want this to be seen as ‘piling on,’” he said.
“Elected officials cannot be allowed to get away with ignoring our election laws.”
Thiersch’s complaint says that at the Jan. 23 School Board meeting, Carlson and three other board members present were reminded by Laes that electioneering on school property was not permitted.
Corrected statement
On Wednesday, Laes said he made the statement based on past knowledge and that he found with further research that buttons were allowed as long as there was not an explicit policy forbidding them.
Laes said he contacted the board members privately, correcting his assertion but made no public statement about the matter.
Laes said he chose to not wear a button to board meetings.
Port Townsend’s capital levy will generate $1,181,500 each year for a total of $4,726,000 over four years.
It will cost property owners 51 cents per $1,000 the first year and 58 cents per $1,000 each of the following years.
It will go toward upgrading technology, roofs, carpets, telecommunications, sidewalks and security systems, and to renovate Grant Street School, Port Townsend High School, Blue Heron Middle School and the bus barn.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.