Voters decide tax asks Tuesday and who advances in a number of local elections

Tuesday is the last chance for Washington voters to help winnow candidates in local elections.

A handful of local initiatives will also be decided Tuesday, including a public safety tax proposal in Spokane Valley and a countywide request to renew the Aquifer Protection Area taxing district for another 20 years.

In Spokane, incumbent City Councilman Zack Zappone faces delivery driver Chris Savage and private cigar lounge co-owner Cody Arguelles to represent northwest Spokane for the next four years.

In Spokane Valley, two city council races have active primaries this year. In Position 1, there are four candidates vying for an open seat being vacated by Councilman Rod Higgins: businessman and former state Senate candidate Mike Kelly, attorney Lisa Miller, mixed martial arts fighter and former firefighter Adam “Smash” Smith and Kris Pockell, a software engineer who co-owns the Valley hot sauce producer Elixir Sauce Co.

In Position 7, incumbent Councilwoman Laura Padden is fending off challenges from salvage yard manager Brad Hohn and business management student Joseph Ghodsee.

Many of the region’s small jurisdictions also have active primary elections, including the Cheney City Council, Deer Park City Council, Central Valley School Board, and Spokane County fire districts 3 and 4.

Voters submitting ballots on primary election day either need to deposit them before 8 p.m. in a drop box, which are located throughout the county at public libraries, city halls and many other public buildings, or in a post box before the last pickup of the day, which may be earlier than 8 p.m.