URGENT — All Jefferson County school levies headed for victories

THE FIRST COUNT of mail-in ballots in February’s special election on Tuesday night showed Jefferson County school levy measures headed for victories.

Four public school districts in East Jefferson County — Port Townsend, Chimacum, Quilcene and Brinnon — and one in West Jefferson County — Queets/Clearwater — asked voters to approve property tax levies.

As of Tuesday night,10,949 total ballots, or 51.44 percent of the 21,284 mailed to registered voters, were counted in Jefferson County in the separate school district elections.

About 1,000 ballots were left to count, more mail ballots were expected to arrive Wednesday, and the next vote count will be at about noon Friday.

Here are the initial vote totals Tuesday night in each of the Jefferson County school district elections:

■ Port Townsend: 3,483 yes, 63.02 percent; 2,044 no, 36.98 percent.

5,527 votes returned and counted of 10,773 issued.

The four-year capital levy, a replacement levy that would generate $1,181,500 each year, would cost property owners an estimated 51 cents per $1,000 valuation the first year and 58 cents per $1,000 each following year.

■ Chimacum: 2,558 yes, or 60.88 percent; 1,644 no, or 39.12 percent.

4,202 votes returned and counted counted of 8,231 issued.

The six-year capital projects levy, a replacement levy, would raise $1,325,000 each year for a total of $7,950,000.

The estimated amount per $1,000 assessed value the levy would cost property owners is, in order from 2013 to 2018, 81 cents, 80 cents, 84 cents, 83 cents, 83 cents and 82 cents.

■ Quilcene: 396 yes, or 64.8 percent; 217 no, or 35.4 percent.

613 ballots returned and counted of 1,265 issued.

The four-year maintenance and operations replacement levy that would collect $495,500 its first year and increase to $540,095 the fourth year.

The estimated amount per $1,000 assessed value the levy would cost property owners is $1.46 the first year,

$1.51 the second year, $1.55 the third year and $1.60 the fourth year.

■ Brinnon: 343 yes, or 61.03 percent; 219 no, or 38.97 percent.

562 ballots returned and counted out of 955 issued.

The two-year property tax levy would raise $239,653 the first year and $299,526 the second year.

The estimated amount per $1,000 assessed value the levy would cost property owners is $1.08 in 2013 and $1.10 in 2014.

■ Queets/Clearwater: 24 yes, or 70.59 percent; 10 no, or 29.41 percent.

34 votes returned and counted out of 99 issued.

The three-year educational program and program replacement levy would raise $75,000 each year and cost property tax owners an estimated $1.63 per $1,000 assessed valuation each year.

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