Latest special election count shows strong school levy support across Whatcom County

Robert Mittendorf
·2 min read

Property tax measures for Bellingham Public Schools and several other Whatcom County school districts and public agencies mostly were approved by voters after the Auditor’s Office released its final round of ballot totals for the Feb. 13 special election.

Separate bond measures in Blaine and Lynden required a 60% supermajority but did not reach that mark.

Washington votes by mail, so ballots had to be postmarked — not just mailed —or placed in special drop boxes around Whatcom County by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

There are 159,753 active registered voters in Whatcom County, and a total of 60,221 ballots had been counted, according to the Auditor’s Office website. That’s a turnout of about 38%.

Schools in Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Lynden, Meridian, Nooksack Valley, Mount Baker and Concrete sought levy renewals. Voters in Blaine and Lynden also voted on bond measures. Blaine-Birch Bay Park & Recreation District 2 sought to renew a property tax, and the Fire Protection District 8, which serves the Marietta area and Lummi Nation, sought a new levy for maintenance and operations, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office, which conducts elections.

Final results

Here’s how the ballot totals stand following a third and final count released Thursday.

▪ Bellingham’s educational support and operations levy passed 66%-34%. A technology capital projects levy passed 65%-35%.

▪ Ferndale’s school programs and operations levy passed 55%-45%.

▪ Blaine’s educational programs and operations levy passed 58%-42%. Blaine’s general obligations bond measure, which requires 60% approval for passage, failed with a 55% approval.

▪ Lynden’s educational programs and operations levy is passing 57%-43%. Lynden’s general obligations bond measure, which requires 60% approval for passage, failed with a 51% approval.

▪ Meridian’s educational programs and operations levy passed 55%-45%. A technology capital projects levy passed 56%-44%.

▪ Nooksack Valley’s educational programs and operations levy passed by 48 votes. The measure was losing by 13 votes after the first count was released.

▪ Mount Baker’s educational programs and operations levy and its capital projects levy both passed 58%-42%.

▪ Concrete schools Proposition 1, a multi-county replacement levy measure with voters in Skagit and Whatcom counties, passed 56%-44%. Proposition 2, a capital levy for improvements, passed 53%-47%.

▪ Blaine-Birch Bay Park & Recreation District 2 property tax levy passed 70%-30%.

▪ Fire Protection District 8’s levy for maintenance, facilities and operations passed 69%-31%.