SEQUIM — The farther west a voter lives in Clallam County, the more likely he or she was to vote against the buyer’s excise tax that failed at the polls Nov. 8.
Support for the half of 1 percent levy on the purchase of real estate was strongest in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley area, where rapid growth is transforming what used to be rural, farming communities.
It was weakest in the West End, where less than 20 percent of voters gave it a thumbs up.
In addition, according to precinct breakdowns released Friday by the Clallam County Auditor’s Office, out of the county’s 93 precincts, the excise tax passed in only seven and tied in two.
It lost in the other 84.
In complete returns released Friday, votes against the proposed tax totaled 16,686, or 57.7 percent, to 12,242, or 42.3 percent in favor.
The tax would have raised an estimated $2.7 million a year for 10 years, with the proceeds dedicated to purchasing conservation easements on agricultural land.