School, fire votes doing well

Ballot measures in Cheney and Medical Lake school districts and Spokane County Fire Protection District 4 all continued to win voter approval in returns counted Wednesday.

A $79 million bond measure for Cheney schools enjoyed a 65.4 percent approval rate with 4,312 voters saying yes to 2,284 no votes.

That measure would pay for two new middle schools and a new elementary on the West Plains.

In Medical Lake, a $15.65 million bond measure was ahead with 1,465 yes votes to 887 no votes for a 62.3 percent approval rate.

Fire District 4’s request to raise its regular levy to its constitutional maximum of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation was leading with 4,589 yes votes to 4,037 no votes, or a 53.2 percent support.

A levy for Great Northern School District also was leading with 207 yes votes to 46 no votes.

In Whitman County, Rosalia voters were approving a $50,000 street levy.

Colfax school voters were rejecting a replacement levy for maintenance and operation that would raise $1.3 million in 2011 and $1.35 million in 2012. The measure had a 42 percent yes vote in initial returns.

Colton school voters were approving a $463,000 maintenance and operation levy with a 73 percent yes vote.

Endicott school voters were approving a two-year replacement levy for maintenance and operation that would raise $230,000 each in 2011 and 2012. The yes vote was 64 percent.

Oakesdale schools were winning a two-year replacement levy to raise $333,000 in 2011 and $345,000 in 2012 with a 63.2 percent yes vote.

Also passing were school maintenance and operation levies in St. John, Rosalia and Tekoa.

In Stevens County, an advisory vote to increase the sales tax by a tenth of a percent for chemical dependency and mental health programs was being defeated by a 2-to-1 margin with more than 11,000 votes counted.

School levies were passing narrowly in Valley and Colville, and narrowly trailing in Mary Walker School District.

The next ballot count is scheduled for Feb. 23.