General elections in odd-numbered years generally focus on nonpartisan races to fill city, county, school board and special district positions. The 2011 election is unusual in that it will also decide a legislative seat. Appointed state Rep. Sharon Wylie, a Democrat, is facing Republican Craig Riley in a contest to fill the second year of former Rep. Jim Jacks’ 49th District term.
State, schools, C-Tran
Voters will decide three statewide initiatives, including a measure to privatize liquor sales in Washington, and two proposed constitutional amendments. They’ll fill three Vancouver City Council seats, council positions in the cities of Camas, Battle Ground, Washougal, Ridgefield, La Center and Woodland, and school board seats in the Vancouver, Evergreen, Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, Ridgefield, Hockinson, La Center, Woodland, Green Mountain and Mount Pleasant school districts.
Voters within the C-Tran taxing district — Clark County’s incorporated cities and Vancouver’s urban growth boundary — will vote on a proposition that would raise C-Tran’s sales tax collection rate by 0.2 percentage point.
The agency says it needs the revenue to maintain existing bus service in Clark County. If approved, the tax hike would translate to an extra 2 cents on every $10 purchase subject to the local sales tax. Should the measure fail, transit officials say they’ll be forced to cut about 35 percent of total service to make ends meet when available reserve funds run dry. Opponents have questioned the agency’s efficiency, and argued that an already ailing economy can ill afford a tax increase.