PORT TOWNSEND — The margin of defeat for a proposed $3 million library bond in Tuesday’s primary election count was larger than both sides expected, but Wednesday, all expressed optimism for the library’s future.
Sheila Khalov, who campaigned for the measure, thanked those who supported the library bond.
“We have a wonderful library and want to make sure that it continues its excellence,” Khalov said.
“I don’t know what will happen next,” she added. “It’s up to the city.”
Rick Jahnke, who campaigned against the measure, said, “This has opened a community discussion which was definitely needed.
“We all love the libraries,” the Port Townsend resident said. “We can move forward with better leadership and more equitable funding, and have a great library.”
The measure, which required a 60 percent supermajority for approval, received the reverse of what it needed, with 2,206 votes, or 61.3 percent, opposed to 1,392 votes, or 38.7 percent, in favor after the first ballot count in the all-mail election Tuesday night.
The next count, set for about noon Friday, isn’t expected to change the outcome.
Proposition 1 sought voter approval for the city to issue up to $3 million in general obligation bonds to go toward a $4.3 million project to renovate and expand the Carnegie Library portion of the complex at 1220 Lawrence St.
It would have cost property owners an estimated 14 cents per $1,000 assessed value, so an owner of a $200,000 home would have paid $28 per year.
Now that the measure presumably has been defeated, the city will work on a plan for the future of the library, City Manager David Timmons said.
“We are not going to make any rush decisions,” Timmons said.
“We need to nominate new library board members and figure out what we need to do before we move back in since there is some minor work that needs to be done before that happens.”
Chelcie Liu, president of the Port Townsend Library Foundation, said it would be several months before alternatives are explored or determined.
“We need to get all the parties together to discuss the various options,” said Liu, who would not speculate what the options could be.
“We’ll have a general discussion and come up with some choices.”
Given the vote totals, it is unlikely that another bond issue would be proposed, Liu said.
Jahnke said he wasn’t sure before Election Day that the measure would be defeated.
He was surprised by the wide margin.
“I had no predictions,” he said. “We all travel in bubbles and think we are doing the right thing, so was always wondering if we were in our own bubble and maybe we were wrong.”
Library materials have been located in the Mountain View Campus, 1919 Blaine St., since March 2012, when it vacated the Carnegie location.
Timmons said the library probably won’t return to the Carnegie location before the first part of next year.
A plan to proceed will be developed in conjunction with newly named interim library director Beverly Shelton, he said.
Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge said Wednesday that her office had 810 ballots waiting to be counted and that some others could arrive in today’s mail to be included in the next count, scheduled for noon Friday.
Michelle Sandoval, 54, incumbent in Position 1 on the Port Townsend City Council, was guaranteed a spot on the Nov. 5 general election ballot in her quest for a fourth term.
She received 1,789 votes, or 52.85 percent, Tuesday.
She apparently will face Bob Jautz, 74, who received 828 votes, or 24.46 percent.
Former City Council member Vern Garrison, 69, won 743 votes, or 21.95 percent.
Harold Sherwood and Pamela Adams will compete to fill the Position 5 seat left vacant by Mark Welch, who declined to seek another term.
Sherwood, 65, won 1.361 votes, or 44.32 percent, followed by Adams, 69, who earned 1,157 votes, or 37.6 percent.
Steve Oakford, 69, was eliminated from the contest. He received 517 votes, or 16.8 percent.
Both Sherwood, a veterinarian who has served two terms on the Port Townsend School Board, and Adams, a retired chiropractor, talked about tax burden.
“The real issues the city faces is that it has too many eggs in one basket when it comes to funding,” Sherwood said Wednesday, adding that the “basket” he referred to was real estate taxes.
“That market collapsed, and we kept spending money like the market was coming back, and it has, but not like before,” he said.
“We need to be living within a budget for the city that is within our means and doesn’t drive out younger families because the taxes are too high.
“We need to have a broad range in the community and not concentrate on just retirement and tourism.”
Adams said Tuesday night that the defeat of the library bond proved that “people feel overburdened by taxes and utility bills,” and that she hopes other revenue streams can be found.
A third seat on the Port Townsend City Council, Position 2, did not have a primary contest. In November, incumbent Catharine Robinson will face off against challenger Patrick Moore.
Two Port of Port Townsend seats are open, though only one had a primary challenge.
In the primary, District 2 seat marine trades worker Brad Clinefelter, 53, took half of the votes counted Tuesday night, while entrepreneur Peter Quinn, 59, appeared to be headed to running against him this fall for the District 2 seat.
Clinefelter won 872 votes, or 50.4 percent, while Quinn took 468 votes, or 27.05 percent.
Bill Putney, 67 — who won 363 votes, or 20.98 percent — was eliminated in Tuesday’s primary.
The race has no incumbent. Dave Thompson lost his district when boundaries were redrawn in 2011.
In District 3, incumbent Leif Erickson, 62,who is seeking a second term, is facing challenger Pete Hanke, 54, on Nov. 5.
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
