Ritzville School bond fails in Special Election vote: Washtucna, Lind, Ritzville M&O levies passing

The Feb. 9 Special Election showed countywide support for school district’s Maintenance and Operation (M&O) levies, but the Ritzville School District bond results had a different outcome.

Requiring a super-majority to pass, voters split down the middle with almost exactly 50 percent rejecting the bond proposal.

The 20-year bond proposed to voters totaled $12.8 million and included multiple projects for facility upgrades and construction within the local district.

The bond projects included the remodel of the current high school, upgrades at the Ritzville Grade School, miscellaneous district wide projects and the addition of a second gymnasium.

With ballots still remaining to be counted, over 90 percent of Ritzville School District voters cast a vote in the initial count. Even with the remaining ballots that were sent out, the margin remains too high for the bond to pass.

Voters rejecting the proposal totaled 50.28 percent of the votes, with 358 votes in opposition. The remaining 354 votes for 49.72 percent are in favor of the bond.

A total of 1,075 votes were received countywide, accounting for nearly 46 percent of voters.

Also on the ballot are M&O levies for the Lind School District, Washtucna School District and Ritzville School District. All M&O levies are two-year replacement levies run through the districts regularly.

The Washtucna School District M&O levy is for $300,000 total collection in 2017-18. The estimated collection is set at $3.17 per thousand of assessed valuation.

The Washtucna levy passed with 77.53 percent of voters in favor of the resolution. A total of 89 citizens cast a vote in the initial ballot count.

For the Lind School District, the total collection amount of $812,900 in 2017-18 has been approved. This is based on an estimated rate of collection of $3.05 per thousand of assessed valuation.

Lind voters approved the levy with 70.14 percent of voters in favor. There are 63 votes in opposition of the resolution, totaling 29.86 percent of votes on the levy.

In the Ritzville School District, voters cast a ballot on the M&O levy for a total collection of $1,038,215 in 2017-18. The estimated collection rate is $3 per thousand of assessed valuation.

The Ritzville School District levy passed with 67.08 percent of voters in favor of the resolution. The amount of voters casting a vote opposition of the resolution totaled 237, for a total of 32.92 percent of votes.

Regarding the bond, the Ritzville School Board will now either host a special meeting to determine if the resolution should be amended and put on the next Special Election ballot, or if they will wait to come back to voters in a later election.

Discussion in the initial Facilities Committee meetings and School Board meetings revolved around having the bond placed on a ballot again this year. Because of the quick turnaround time to submit a resolution for the Special Election in April, it is unlikely for the bond to be placed on that ballot.

The second ballot count occurred on Feb. 10, with those results unavailable at press time. On Feb. 9, there was an estimated 100 ballots left to be counted in the county.

In Ritzville, there were less than 50 ballots that had not been returned on Feb. 9.

For more information on the Special Election and for updated results, visit http://co.adams.wa.us and follow the Elections link.