Voters decide funding for Bellingham, Ferndale schools and Birch Bay library
Voters were split over school funding in Bellingham and Ferndale and a library measure in Birch Bay, according to ballot counts on election night.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, for the special election that featured a bond measure for Bellingham schools, a levy renewal for Ferndale schools and whether Birch Bay can sell bonds and tax local homeowners to fund a community library.
Bond measures for Bellingham Public Schools and the Birch Bay Library Capital Facility Area require 60% approval.
Bellingham’s bond measure also requires 40% turnout from the previous school funding measure.
A similar measure for the Birch Bay library failed by 26 votes in November. Supporters are trying again to pass the measure for their proposed 7,600-square-foot library at a cost of $6.5 million.
A state grant of $2 million is at stake and supporters are seeking authority to sell $4.35 million in bonds.
Ferndale’s levy measure requires a simple majority of 50% plus one vote.
Turnout was 32% of the 107,797 registered voters in Whatcom County Tuesday, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office website.
There were an estimated 1,500 ballots left to count Tuesday night, and the next count will be released late afternoon Wednesday, Feb. 9.
Tuesday’s results
According to a tally of votes released by the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office on Tuesday night.
▪ A proposed $122 million school bond issue in Bellingham was failing, 59% to 41%.
That measure asked voters to increase the rate for the school’s part of the property tax to $3.47 per $1,000 of assessed valuation in 2022 and to $3.72 in 2023 and 2024.
It would add about $200 a year in property tax for the owner of a median-priced home in Bellingham, which is about $550,000, said Simone Sangster, assistant superintendent for finance.
Funds from the bond would build a new facility for the Community Transitions program for special education students and a new elementary school in the King Mountain neighborhood. It would allow preliminary design work to replace Carl Cozier, Roosevelt and Columbia elementary schools. It would also cover increased costs for a new district office and fund other projects.
Bellingham Superintendent Greg Baker said at the school district’s website Tuesday evening that officials were optimistic despite the early results.
“Traditionally, we find that the later ballots tend to favor school measures at a higher rate. During the recent levy and bond elections, the percentage of yes votes went up between the early returns of election night and the final certified results,” he wrote. “We’ll be paying close attention to the updated returns as we wait for the remaining ballots to be counted.”
▪ A Ferndale School District request for a continuing operations levy was passing, 59% to 41%.
It would keep the current property tax at a rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, meaning the owner of a $500,000 home would keep paying about $750 a year for the school district’s part of their property tax.
This levy would continue funding for day-to-day operations and pay for nurses, counselors and support staff beyond state-funded positions. It continues funding for child nutrition programs, special education and advanced learning. It provides for more elective and extra-curricular opportunities for students, including athletics, drama, music, STEM and career and technical education.
▪ A bond measure for the Birch Bay library was failing, 57% to 43%.
It would cost the owner of a $350,000 home about $38.50 a year in extra tax for the library.
Bonds vs. levies
Bonds provide money to buy land, build or remodel schools, and buy things used in schools.
Levies add to the money that each district gets from the state and can be used for teacher salaries and special programs.
Only bond measures require the 60% supermajority.
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 8:39 PM.
