Two funding levies for fire and emergency medical services and a levy for a rural school district in east Clark County appear to have found success with voters on Election Day.
Meanwhile, 53.8 percent rejected Proposition No. 6, which proposed to raise money to expand the police force.
Voters had a chance to approve or reject four property tax levy measures on this year’s ballot. Each needed simple majority approval to pass.
Based on early returns, 72.3 percent of voters in East County Fire & Rescue’s service area supported a measure to preserve a property tax levy for the rural fire district. ECF&R services a 60-square-mile area of unincorporated Clark County outside of Camas and Washougal.
The levy charges homeowners 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed value of their homes, and it will continue at that rate for six more years starting in 2015. The money will help the district offset fuel costs and pay for CPR training after going through heavy budget cuts in recent years.
About 55.3 percent of voters supported a new maintenance and operations levy that will raise $310,000 over the next two years for the Mount Pleasant School District, which covers parts of Washougal and Skamania County. The district serves about 70 students and operates on a budget of $500,000 every year. The money will help the district meet increasing state compliance requirements after suffering budget cuts in recent years.
Voters in Washougal were split on two measures to temporarily raise the city’s property tax levies for police and fire services starting next year.
Nearly 57 percent approved Proposition No. 5, which will raise Washougal’s emergency service levy by 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value next year. The money will bolster funding for fire, ambulance and emergency medical services.
