School levy passes by large margin

Grand Coulee Dam School District passed its four-year school levy with a whopping 65-percent approval from the four-county area, Tuesday’s results showed.

It caused Karen Depew, who chairs the Citizens for Quality Education committee, to say, “Way to go.”

Superintendent Dennis Carlson could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

The total vote was 591 yes votes with 325 no votes.

Voters approved a four-year $1.13 million replacement levy which will begin in 2016. Voters apparently appreciated the fact that in most cases their school taxes were going down.

For instance, the owner of a $100,000 house will pay $59 less in taxes under the new levy just voted in.

The district asked for, and got approval on, collecting $3.95 per thousand assessed valuation compared to the current levy that collects $4.54 per thousand.

The replacement maintenance and operation levy is for 2016-19 and replaces a similar four-year levy that ends this year.

A simple majority was needed for the levy to pass.

Additional mail-in ballots will be counted later this week from those who got their ballots to the post office by Tuesday but the ballots were too late to be counted last night.

The vote by county

County Yes No

Grant 336 185

Okanogan 152 79

Lincoln 28 28

Douglas 75 33