Lincoln County Oks Levies

A Colville school levy fared better Tuesday than last May, when a tentative victory faded to a two-vote defeat, but the measure was still too close to call.

Elsewhere in rural northeastern Washington, five levies in Lincoln County appeared to have passed handily.

The closest vote in that county was in Davenport, where a two-year, $450,000-per-year levy had 64.1 percent support, 363-203, with all but 35 potential absentee votes counted.

Voter turnouts were sufficient to validate all the levy elections, but the 609 potential absentee ballots in the Colville district could pull that levy below the required 60 percent majority needed for passage.

The two-year, $584,701 Colville levy had 63.4 percent support, 1,756 to 1,016, with all but absentee ballots counted Tuesday. County Auditor Tim Gray said 609 absentee ballots were issued and at least 473 had been returned by Tuesday.

None of the absentees will be counted until March 24.

Last May, when the district suffered its second defeat in 1994, a proposed operating levy had 62.2 percent support before absentees were counted.

In Lincoln County, levies passed in Creston with 67.6 percent support, 123-59; in Harrington, with 78.1 percent support, 157-44; in Sprague, with 72.3 percent support, 112-43; and in Wilbur, with 76.3 percent support, 273-85.