PORT TOWNSEND – Final results of the Feb. 6 election released Wednesday showed the same outcome as the first ballot tally more than two weeks ago:
A county library levy, two fire district levies and a Port Townsend School District levy all passed, while a proposed city utility tax increase for Port Townsend failed.
But Wednesday’s action by the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office makes the results official and numbers final.
Of 20,809 ballots mailed out for the all-mail election by Auditor Donna Eldridge on Jan. 17, 12,542, or 60.27 percent, were returned.
The Port Townsend School District maintenance and operations levy passed with 62.97 percent voter approval.
A levy lid lift to maintain Jefferson County Library’s existing level of services also won easily.
A total of 14,366 ballots were mailed out for this election and 8,495 were returned.
The measure passed with 5,302 to 3,193, or 62.41 percent to 37.59 percent.
Jefferson County Fire District No. 3 of Port Ludlow passed an emergency medical services levy lid lift with 65.97 percent approval, against 34.03 percent opposing it – or 1,605 to 828 votes – in the final election results posted Wednesday.
Fire District No. 3’s fire levy lid lift passed with 56.60 percent approval to 43.40 percent, or 1,380 yes votes to 1,058 no votes.
The Port Townsend city measure would have garnered $403,000 for city coffers by increasing the utility tax on customers’ bills from 6 percent to 10 percent.
According to the final figures, the measure received 1,798 votes, or 45.19 percent, approving it to 2,181 votes, or 54.81 percent, opposing it.
In the only other election on the North Olympic Peninsula on Feb. 6, a four-year Port Angeles School District replacement levy on the Feb. 6 ballot officially tallied 6,667 yes votes, or 66 percent, against 3,424 no votes, or 34 percent.
A 60 percent supermajority was required to pass the levy.
A total of 10,091 ballots were returned out of 18,610 mailed, for a return rate of 54.2 percent, according to Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand.