PORT TOWNSEND — Only one measure is still vulnerable following Thursday’s count of an additional 1,882 general election ballots in Jefferson County.
The results of candidate races did not change from Tuesday’s initial count of ballots in the all-mail general election.
A total of 15,646 ballots of the 20,973 mail-in ballots sent out Oct. 18 had been counted as of Thursday.
That’s a 74.6 percent voter turnout.
About 472 ballots remain to be duplicated and counted because the ballot tabulation machine could not read the marks on them, said Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge on Thursday.
That count could change the result for the Chimacum School District Transportation levy.
The $360,000 levy to purchase three new school buses requires a 60 percent supermajority to pass.
After Thursday’s count, the levy had received 3,443 “yes” votes, or 60.52 percent, and 2,246 “no” votes, or 39.48 percent.
“We’re very appreciative of the support, but they’re still counting ballots . . . so it’s still really tight,” said Art Clarke, Chimacum School District business manager.
The levy would have Chimacum School District property owners paying 24 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The owner of a $250,000 home would pay $59.50 for the one-year levy collected in 2007.
The next county will be early next week, probably on Wednesday, said Eldridge.
Eldridge said some ballots could still come in on Monday.
Ballots had to be postmarked Nov. 7.
Friday is a postal holiday because of Veterans Day, and so mail will not be received until Monday.
Forty-five ballots are being challenged because they lack signatures or contain signatures that don’t match those one on record at the Auditor’s Office.
Voters who sent in ballots that have now been challenged will receive a letter and a call from the Auditor’s office.
They will have until 5 p.m. Nov. 27 to remedy the ballot issues for their vote to count.
The election will be certified Nov. 28.
Parks and Recreation levy
Thursday’s count took all hope away from supporters of a Parks and Recreation District No. 1 six-year levy.
As a tax issue, it needed a 60 percent supermajority to pass.
Including Thursday’s county, the measure has received 130 “yes” votes, or 55.32 percent, to 106 “no” votes, or 44.68 percent.
Even if all the remaining ballots in the district approved the measure, it would not pass.
Austin retains lead
Democrat District 3 Commissioner Candidate John Austin, 65, of Port Ludlow retained his large lead over Republican Ian McFall, 66, of Brinnon.
Austin received 9,259 votes, or 62,19 percent, to McFall’s 5,597 votes, or 37.59 percent.
Austin said his priority when taking office Jan. 1, 2007 in the commissioner seat vacated by Brinnon Republican Pat Rodgers will be to stimulate economic development in the county.
Sheriff Mike Brasfield’s landslide victory over Republican Richard Brees did not change after Thursday’s count.
Brasfield, 62, of Port Ludlow received 11,880 votes, or 79.88 percent, and Brees, 56, of Port Ludlow, received 2,902 votes, or 19.51 percent.
Brasfield said in his second term as sheriff that he wants to pursue community-based activities, such as block watch programs.
Jill Landes, 56, of Port Townsend retained a hefty lead over Richard Suryan , 62, of Port Townsend for District Court Judge, a nonpartisan position.
Landes received 7,469 votes, or 55.10 percent, to Suryan’s 6,033 votes, or 44.51 percent.
Landes said she would probably serve as a pro tem judge for Mark Huth, the current District Court judge who is vacating the seat, to get to know the position before taking office Jan. 1.
Fire District No. 5 has an emergency medical services permanent levy passing well over it’s necessary 60 percent.
The levy received 307 “yes” votes, or 71.23 percent, and 124 “no” votes, or 28.77 percent.
The levy will have property owners in Discovery Bay and Gardiner paying 50 cents for every $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The owner of a $200,000 home would pay $100 a year for the levy.
The Fire District No. 4 lid lift was not so lucky.
Brinnon-area residents struck the lid lift measure unambiguously down.
The lift, which would have increased the amount paid from 64 cents to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed valuation, was approved by 245 votes, or 36.95 percent and opposed by 418 votes, or 63.05 percent.
Gardiner will be getting a new cemetery district.
The proposed Cemetery District No. 3 was approved with 157 votes, or 79.7 percent, to 40 votes, or 20.30 percent opposed.
Its elected commissioners are Jim Hueter, Diane Martin and Bob Minty, all of Gardiner.