Join state Rep. Jim Moeller for a live chat on his legislative priorities in 2012 and the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in Washington this Friday, Feb. 17 at 11:30 a.m. at www.columbian.com/chat.
For more than 85,000 Clark County voters, today is Election Day, with several school measures on the ballot.
The Clark County Elections Department has mailed out 85,139 ballots and as of this morning had received 29,448 back, for a turnout of 34.6 percent. That does not include ballots that will be dropped off at collection sites or mailed today; Washington law states that ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted.
Ballots will be tallied at 8 p.m. and the results released about 30 minutes later, and posted on columbian.com shortly thereafter.
All but the Ridgefield school bond need simple majority approval to pass.
Here is what is on Tuesday’s ballot:
- The Evergreen Public Schools four-year levy would replace its expiring levy. Money from Evergreen’s current levy pays for all or part of a variety of staff members, including more than 200 instructional staff such as teachers, librarians and counselors; and more than 140 noninstructional staff such as building clerical workers and security staff.
- Green Mountain’s levy proposal would generate $400,000, or around 30 percent of the district’s daily operating budget.
- In Hockinson, the money from one levy would go toward roof replacement and repairs at district schools, field drainage at the high school and classroom technology, among other things, according to a levy fact sheet circulated by the district. Similar to the Evergreen Public Schools levy, Hockinson’s other levy measure would address the education funding gap.
- If Woodland’s levy passes, the district would take in $3.25 million in 2013, for instance, to go toward staffing, textbooks, transportation and extracurricular activities, among other things. The levy would last through the 2014-15 school year.
- Ridgefield schools are asking voters to approve a bond that requires a 60 percent majority out of at least 1,826 votes in order to pass.It would pay for widespread improvements and additions to classrooms, traffic and parking facilities, and sports areas. Two dozen classrooms would be added and six deteriorating portable classrooms would be removed.
A ballot listing all measures for the election is available to view on the Clark County Elections Department website, http://clarkvotes.org.
