The majority of voters in Sequim cast ballots to approve both Sequim School District’s bond proposal and the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center levy, but both are short of the 60 percent required for approval.
School count falling short
In the first count of ballots, voters are rejecting the $49.5 million Sequim school construction bond, about 10 months after voters turned down a $154 million bond proposal.
On Feb. 10, election results show that 6,610 voters approved the measure (57.1 percent), falling short of the 60 percent “super majority” required to pass.
Sequim schools superintendent Kelly Shea said he’s still hopeful, noting that just 400 more yes votes would put the proposal over the top.
Jim Stoffer, Chair of Citizens for Sequim Schools, said, “It’s a little disappointing, but we know the count is till coming in. The work we did paid off (with better numbers than April of 2014), but we’re not ready to call it (over).”
The bond would have cost an estimated 63 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation, or $126 a year for the owner of a $200,000 home.
The 20-year bond would have paid for land and the building of a new elementary school, adding four classrooms, a gym and service kitchen at Greywolf Elementary School, adding six science classrooms and band/choir rooms at Sequim High School and tearing down an unused portion of the Sequim Community School.
The bond also would have included a major renovation of the district’s base kitchen, funded renovations at Helen Haller Elementary School’s A and D buildings, renovated Sequim High School’s science classrooms into general education classrooms and converted a portion of the Sequim Community School that Olympic Peninsula Academy students use now into a district maintenance and warehouse building.
“We need these extra yes votes,” Sequim school board member John Bridge said Tuesday night. “It’s great that the community is supporting us and supports the kids, but it’s not a done deal and I’ll hold out for some more yes votes. The next step for the board is to sit down and talk about what our possibilities are. We really have to look at what’s causing people to vote no.”
In recent weeks, school district officials and school advocates from the Citizens for Sequim Schools group have canvassed the community, talking to community groups such as both of Sequim’s Rotary organizations, Olympic Medical Center’s board of directors, the Clallam Economic Development Council and North Peninsula Building Association, hosted informational meetings at schools, neighborhood clubhouses and at citizens’ homes and waved familiar yellow signs at downtown Sequim intersections.
“We definitely turned over every stone we could to get out message out there,” Shea said. “Did we get the right message out? Did we get the right package? Did we get out to enough people? I always feel there are more people to talk to, especially when you read negative letters to the editor and realize none of these people have been to a presentation.”
SARC measure failing
Voters rejected a levy for the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center on Tuesday night, with 6,610 voters or 57.1 percent approving the measure; a 60 percent “super majority” was also required to pass.
Proponents say the 27-year-old facility is likely to close by the end of 2016 due to depleting reserves and increasing costs for replacing deteriorating equipment and infrastructure.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Frank Pickering, Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center’s board president, said. “We thought we well proved our case to the Sequim community. Without a strategic plan, we will close Dec. 31, 2016. We’ll need to look at what action we can take to handle this emergency. The board intends to contact each county commissioner and Sequim councilor to get their support. I don’t quit, Scott doesn’t quit. We came close and I’d like to thank all those who supported the levy.”
SARC director Scott Deschenes said levy funds would have been used to replace infrastructure like a pool air handling unit valued at about $350,000, to replace and repair equipment, and to recover about $200,000 in costs accrued over recent years.
“It’s hard — you see all the old people there that rely on this place and the kids after school and I feel like we’ve let them down by not passing the levy,” Deschenes said. “It’s a nail in the coffin, but hopefully not the last. We’ll do everything we can in the next year to save this place. We’ll have to make some tough choices.”
SARC campaign manager Susan Sorenson said, “I’m very disappointed that the community chose not to support their community recreation facility. I’m surprised by the amount of no votes. Since August, this has been my job and I’m just disappointed.”
By the numbers
As of Tuesday morning, the Clallam County Elections department had tabulated 21,130 ballots — about 47 percent of the 45,005 eligible registered voters in the special Feb. 10 election.
Other proposals on local ballots included a $98 million Port Angeles school construction bond proposal, a Port Angeles School District replacement maintenance and operations levy and a hospital district levy in Forks. As of Tuesday night’s count, the Port Angeles bond is failing (48.9 percent for and 51.0 percent against), the Port Angeles levy is approved (62.4 percent) and the Forks hospital levy is approved (65.1 percent).
See results here.
