FORKS — With about a third of ballots counted, voters in Forks seemed on Tuesday to be declining to approve a one-year tax levy to pay for two years of operations at the Forks Pool.
But supporters of the levy say that if they don”t prevail, they’ll be back in November.
“We’ll just hang in there until the very end,” said Quillayute Valley Parks and Recreation District Board of Directors Chairwoman Barb Gronseth.
“I’m a firm believer in that it’s not over till fat lady sings.”
With 798 votes tallied so far, “no” votes are leading 404 to 394, or 50.63 percent to 49.37 percent.
The results tallied only ballots received by 2 p.m. Tuesday. On Tuesday night, 13,593 ballots) were counted in Clallam County races. That was 30.79 percent of the 44,154 ballots mailed out.
Ballots on hand but uncounted, plus ballots received Wednesday and Thursday, will be counted Friday.
The election will be certified on Sept. 29.
State law requires bond measures to reach 60 percent. The law also requires that turnout be at least 40 percent of the last general election in the district.
If the measure ultimately fails, Gronseth it would be placed on the Nov. 7 ballot.
“We have to,” she said.
If that measure fails, the pool will likely be shuttered indefinitely, she said.
The district has been moderately successful in finding grants and donations to fund the pool.
“Quite frankly, we’re really getting tired of begging for money,” Grunseth said.
“But we’ll do what we got to do.”