(The Center Square) – With thousands of ballots left to count, initial results from Tuesday night’s primary election show Spokane County voters approving all four tax measures on their ballot.
According to Spokane County Elections, only 19.1% of the more than 350,000 registered voters in the area turned in their August ballot, the lowest rate in over a decade. There are about 6,000 left to count before the county certifies the results, but it won’t make much of a difference here.
Each tax proposal that the county, Spokane Valley and two fire protection districts ran appeared to pass based on Tuesday night’s results. Only residents in those jurisdictions can vote on these taxes and fees, and the 6,000 ballots left to count represent the remaining total countywide.
Aquifer Protection Area
The proposal that could affect the most pocketbooks is Spokane County’s bid to renew its Aquifer Protection Area, or APA. County officials and those from the cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and the town of Millwood all agreed to put it on the ballot for another 20-year term.
The Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is the region’s primary source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents. The Legislature allowed the county to establish an APA in 1985, which voters renewed in 2004. Tuesday’s results show it passing again by a wide margin.
More than 40,700 people, or 73.6% of the vote, approved the APA and associated fees for water use and sewage disposal, which cost homeowners about $30 annually. That revenue helps the county remove septic tanks to modernize its sewer system and monitor pollutants in the water.
Spokane Valley’s Historic Sales Tax Hike
Voters in Spokane Valley passed the municipality’s first general sales tax increase since the city incorporated in 2003, with a little over 59% support. Nearly 7,000 residents voted to impose the 0.1% tax hike, which will end up costing consumers a dime for every $100 spent at the register.
According to a news release, the city estimates generating about $2.6 million annually from the public safety sales tax, which will go toward hiring at least 10 new police officers through 2027.
“I’m grateful to the Spokane Valley City Council and our generous community for their unwavering support,” Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis wrote in the release. “This initiative ensures that our police department will have the necessary resources and personnel to keep Spokane Valley safe.”
Fire District 8 Levy Passes – Again
Spokane County Fire Protection District No. 8 asked voters to approve a 21-cent levy lid lift to restore its property tax rate to what it was in 2000, 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Tuesday’s results show the proposal passing with 61% support, with a 1,202 vote margin as of Wednesday morning.
Voters passed the tax back in April, but the district had a filing error that required it to try again.
If District 8 can maintain its lead as officials count the remaining votes, homeowners with a median property value of $400,000 would see their annual bill rise to $200 annually, or $16.66 per month.
That revenue will go toward staffing, modernizing equipment and purchasing cost-effective vehicles.
Fire District 13 EMS Levy
Spokane County Fire Protection District No. 13 asked voters to renew its emergency medical services levy for another six years, which appears to be passing so far with 66% support. Election officials have only counted 550 ballots for that measure as of Tuesday night, with a 178-vote margin to failure.
If successful, the levy renewal will maintain the current rate of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
District 13’s proposal will cost homeowners the same amount as the other one, about $200 annually, or $16.66 each month. The levy will also pay for similar expenses, such as staffing and equipment.
Spokane County Elections will count more ballots on Wednesday night before certifying the final results on Aug. 19.
