Hockinson High School Assistant Principal and Athletics Director Josh Johnson the moment he discovered one of Hockinson’s levies was ahead by 17 votes, at Cedars On Salmon Creek, April 23.
With no ballots estimated left for counting, the winners of the April special election were replacement levies for Ridgefield and Hockinson school districts, though Hockinson’s capital levy wasn’t able to make the cut.
The April special election had a turnout of about 45.6 percent: Hockinson had about 51.3 of those registered in its boundaries voting, while Ridgefield had about 43.3 percent.
Hockinson
Hockinson’s replacement levy was barely passing by only 17 votes after the first count on April 23, but by the following morning the lead grew to over 100, passing with a final mark of 1,761 votes for it (52 percent) and 1,625 against.
Hockinson’s replacement levy, which goes into effect next year, will have the same $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, currently the maximum allowed by the state of Washington.
Although giving the nod to replacing a tax, Hockinson residents rejected a new one.
The proposed capital levy failed with about 48.9 percent of the vote in favor, or 1,650 votes to the 1,726 votes opposed. The capital levy, which likely would have had a fluctuating rate of 45 to 36 cents per $1,000 of assessed value as it ran its three-year course, would have provided updates to the district’s technology assets among other improvements including those for security, playground accessibility and resealing of parking lots, according to information on the district website.
Ridgefield
Also receiving voter approval was a replacement levy for the Ridgefield School District. Like Hockinson’s, the ballot measure is for the max rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, the same rate district property owners currently pay.
Ridgefield’s replacement levy passed with 57.4 percent of voters in approval, or 3,078 for it and 2,281 against.
