Preliminary election results show that Liz Lovelett maintains her position in the state Senate, $30 vehicle tab initiative was approved and the county’s levy lift is still in the air. Of the 13,719 registered voters in San Juan County, voter turn out was an estimated 55 percent with 7,545 ballots having been counted and an estimated 300 remaining to be counted. The next count will at 6 p.m. on Nov. 13.
Election results will be certified by the county on Nov. 26, with the Secretary of State certifying final results by Dec. 5. To view the results for San Juan County, visit https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/sanjuan/.
In San Juan County, incumbent Lovelett, a Democrat, secured her seat in the state Senate, receiving 4,545 votes, 76.09 percent, while her opponent Daniel Miller, a Republican, has received 1,428 votes, 23.91 percent. In the district, Lovelett is leading with 24,597 votes, 69.44 percent, and Miller trails with 10,787 votes, 30.45 percent.
There were two countywide measures on the ballot. Proposition No. 1, to amend the county’s charter to allow for biennial budgeting passed with 5,461 votes, 80.99 percent. Proposition No. 2, a resolution to lift an existing property tax levy from 16 cents per $1,000 assessed value to 22 cents per $1,000 is barely passing, a shift from election night, by 3,602 votes, 51.14 percent for to 3,442 votes, 48.86 percent against.
With this levy lift passing, the existing 2014 Levy Lid Lift is canceled and the new 2019 Levy Lid Lift would become effective in 2020. From here on, the levy amount collected would be limited to a 1 percent increase per RCW 84.55. The total collected levy is now 85 cents per $1,000. The proposition’s passing secures funding for a dozen programs and projects, including maintenance of county buildings and grounds; natural resources programming; general fund support of the San Juan County Fair; corrections and work release program; victim services through the Prosecutor’s Office; parks and fair maintenance; Islands’ Oil Spill Association; support to emergency management services; public health services on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez islands; WSU Extension programs; maintenance and operation of county parks; and senior services programs on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez islands. There is no expiration date on this levy lift.
If it fails, the existing 16 cent levy will be in place through 2020 while San Juan County pursues another levy lift to secure funding.
Every open seat on San Juan Island was unopposed with the following people filling the vacant positions: Town of Friday Harbor Council Member 1, Stephen Hushebeck; Friday Harbor Council Member 2, Noel Monin; Friday Harbor Council Member 5, Barbara Starr; Friday Harbor Treasurer, Kelle Wilson; San Juan Island School District No. 149 Director 3, T.J. Heller; SJISD Director 4, John Kurtz; SJISD Director 5, Brian Moore; SJC Fire Protection District No. 3 Commissioner 1, Frank T. Cardinale; SJC Fire Dist. Commissioner 2, Bob Jarman; Port of Friday Harbor Commissioner 1, Graham “Gib” Black; San Juan Island Park & Recreation District Commissioner 1, Bill Cumming; SJI Park & Rec District Commissioner 4, Adam M. Eltinge; SJI Park & Rec District Commissioner 5, Allison M. Moalli; SJC Cemetery District No. 1 Commissioner 1, Jeri Lynn Aherinus; SJC Cemetery Dist. Commissioner 2, Kim Sunstrum; SJC Public Hospital District No. 1 Commissioner 1, Gail Lischine-Seitz; SJCPHD No. 1 Commissioner 3, Everett Clary; SJCPHD No. 1 Commissioner 4, Kyle Loring; SJCPHD No. 1 Commissioner 5, Trish Lehman; Cape San Juan Water District No. 1 Commissioner 1, J. Clark Munroe.
Statewide
Though San Juan County voters rejected I-976, the $30 tab initiative, by 4,370 votes, 70.2 percent, to 1,855 votes, 29.8 percent, statewide, the initiative passed by 781,154 votes, 53.92 percent, to 667,506 votes, 46.08 percent.
This measure repeals, reduces, or removes authority to impose certain vehicle taxes and fees; limits annual motor-vehicle-license fees to $30, except voter-approved charges; and bases vehicle taxes on Kelley Blue Book value.
San Juan County voters also weighed in on the following:
Referendum Measure No. 88 – Allowing the state to “remedy discrimination for certain groups and to implement affirmative action, without the use of quotas or preferential treatment (as defined), in public education, employment and contracting.”
4,451 votes, 63 percent approve.
2,614 votes, 37 percent reject.
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Advisory Vote No. 20, tax increase – “An additional wage premium for long-term care services, costing an indeterminate amount in its first 10 years, for government spending.”
3,212 votes, 49.11 percent to repeal.
3,329 votes, 50.89 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 21, tax increase – “Business and occupation tax for extracting, manufacturing, and selling timber and timber-related products, costing $21,000,000 in its first 10 years, for government spending.”
2,979 votes, 44.79 percent to repeal.
3,672 votes, 55.21 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 22, tax increase – “Retail sales tax on architectural paint by adding an assessment to the purchase price, costing $6,000,000 in its first 10 years, for government spending.”
3,165 votes, 48.51 percent to repeal.
3,360 votes, 51.49 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 23, tax increase – “A tax on the sale, use, consumption, handling, possession, and distribution of vapor products costing $178,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.”
1,474 votes, 21.7 percent to repeal.
5,320 votes, 78.3 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 24, tax increase – “An additional service and other business and occupation tax for certain specified business activities, costing $2,253,000,000 in its first 10 years, for government spending.”
3,149 votes, 49.18 percent to repeal.
3,254 votes, 50.8 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 25, tax increase – “An additional business and occupation tax for certain specified financial institutions, costing $1,036,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.”
2,641 votes, 40.69 percent to repeal.
3,850 votes, 59.31 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 26, tax increase – “Application of the state tax code to certain remote sellers, marketplace facilitators, and others, costing $1,051,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.”
2,576 votes, 40.41 percent to repeal.
3,798 votes, 59.59 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 27, tax increase – “Taxes on petroleum products, costing $2,760,000,000 in its first 10 years, for government spending.”
2,679 votes, 40.8 percent to repeal.
3,887 votes, 59.2 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 28, tax increase – “Sales and use taxes on certain nonresidents by limiting the exemption applicable to them, costing $313,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.”
1,904 votes, 29.76 percent to repeal.
4,493 votes, 70.24 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 29, tax increase – “Real estate excise tax on certain sales of real property, costing $1,747,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.”
3,040 votes, 47.51 percent to repeal.
3,359 votes, 52.49 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 30, tax increase – “Business and occupation tax on certain travel agents and tour operators, costing $28,000,000 in its first ten years, for government spending.”
2,460 votes, 38.62 percent to repeal.
3,910 votes, 61.38 percent to maintain.
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Advisory Vote No. 31 – “Business and occupation tax on certain international investment management services, costing $367,000,000 in its first 10 years, for government spending.”
1,804 votes, 28.63 percent to repeal.
4,497 votes, 71.37 percent to maintain.
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Senate Joint Resolution, constitutional amendment – “A constitutional amendment concerning legislative powers in times of emergency. This measure would add ‘catastrophic incidents’ to the specified times of emergency that the legislature may take certain immediate actions to ensure continuity of state and local governmental operations.”
5,031 votes, 74.25 percent to repeal.
1,745 votes, 25.75 percent to maintain.
To see how the rest of the state voted, visit https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/Measures-All.html.
Lopez
Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District’s Proposition No. 1 – Excess Property Tax Levy passed with 1,117 votes, 80.13 percent, for to 277 votes, 19.87 percent against. The proposition authorized the district to generate $105,000 by continuing a levy of excise taxes upon all taxable property within the district of an estimated amount of a little more than 10 cents per $1,000 assessed value for the year.
Lopez Island Library District’s Proposition No. 1 – Levy Lid Lift passed by 958 votes, 68.53 percent, for to 440 votes, 31.47 percent against. This levy increased the library’s property tax levy from 39 cents per $1,000 assessed value to 48 cents per $1,000 assessed value. From here on, the levy amount collected would be limited to a 1 percent increase per RCW 84.55.
Though every seat on Lopez ran uncontested, Lopez Island School District No. 144 Director 3’s incumbent Del Guenther is leading against a write-in candidate, Bethany (Beth) Cram, by 879 votes, 85.59 percent, to Cram’s 135 votes, 13.31 percent. Lopez Island School District No. 144 Director 5 incumbent Carol Stecker also has a write-in candidate she’s currently beating with 805 votes, 82.9 percent, to write-in Katherine J. Hanna, who has 166 votes, 17.1 percent.
The rest of the seats are now filled as follows: Lopez Island School District No. 144 Director 4, Jenny Poole; San Juan County Fire Protection District No. 4 Commissioner 1, Rebecca (Becky) Smith; San Juan County Fire Protection District No. 4 Commissioner 3, Duane Bordvick; Port of Lopez Commissioner 1, Kenn Aurfderhar; Port of Lopez Commissioner 2, Stephen K. Adams; San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 2 Commissioner 2, Rebecca Presley; San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 2 Commissioner 5, Albert Berger; MacKaye Harbor Water District Commissioner 1, Dean E. Anderson; Mackaye Harbor Water District Commissioner 3, Kenneth C. Jennings; and Fisherman Bay Sewer District Commissioner 1, Lauren Stephens.
Shaw
Shaw Island declined the formation of a Park and Recreation District covering Shaw, Canoe and Blind islands. Twenty-seven votes, 23.48 percent, were tabulated for the creation and 88 votes, 76.52 percent were against.
Stuart
David Ericksen ran uncontested for the position of San Juan County Cemetery District No. 1 Commissioner 1 on Stuart Island.
