Pullman voters back tax requests

COLFAX - Pullman voters offered strong support for all three property tax levy requests on Tuesday's primary election ballot.

With an unknown number of mail-in ballots remaining to be counted later this week, the initial election night results had all three measures ahead by 2- or 3-to-1 margins. The measures require a simple majority to pass.

A proposal to raise the city's emergency medical services levy by 22 percent or about $123,000 per year was leading 1,607 votes to 521 votes, or 76 percent to 24 percent.

A request to increase the city's Metropolitan Park District levy by a similar amount was ahead 1,458 votes to 661 votes, or 69 percent to 31 percent.

The final request to raise the general property tax levy by about $886,000 per year was leading 1,358 votes to 762 votes, or 64 percent to 35 percent.

A three-way race for an at-large Pullman City Council seat was also on the ballot. Washington State University student Lakecia Farmer, 20, was trailing with 19 percent of the vote, compared to 47 percent for long-time citizen advocate Eileen Macoll, 58, and 32 percent for businessman and WSU public address announcer Marcus Crossler, 34.

The initial results had Macoll ahead with 810 votes, compared to 557 votes for Crossler and 337 votes for Farmer. The two candidates who receive the most votes will move on to the Nov. 5 general election.

Whitman County Elections Supervisor Debbie Hooper said she's not sure how many mail-in ballots remain to be counted.

"Typically what happens is people vote today and we get a boatload of ballots tomorrow," she said, but with voter turnout running around 22 percent, there may only be a few hundred ballots in Wednesday's mail - not enough to sway any election night results.

The next count is scheduled to take place Friday, Hooper said, with the final results set to be certified Aug. 20.

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Spence may be contacted at

bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.