Voters on Whidbey Island apparently winnowed out one Republican candidate for county commissioner, rejected a new property tax in Langley and approved a fire levy in the Coupeville area.
In Oak Harbor, voters were rejecting a new library in early returns for Tuesday’s primary election.
County commissioner
Republican voters in south Whidbey Island were sticking with 12-year incumbent Mike Shelton.
Shelton, of Langley, is seeking his fourth term as commissioner. He will face Dean Enell, a Democrat who ran unopposed in the primary.
Reece Rose, of Clinton, a former head of the local Libertarian Party, tried to oust Shelton with an anti-tax, smaller-government platform. She advocated slashing spending by prioritizing budget cuts.
Shelton campaigned on the belief that the county’s budget already has been cut as much as possible. He said the county’s budget and growth management plans are solid and do not need major revisions.
“If those percentages hold, I just think the difference is people recognize that we run a lean government in Island County,” Shelton said. “Reece ran her campaign on the idea that she wanted to cut government. We’ve cut government, and there’s very little else to cut.”
Shelton was a bit surprised to hear that Enell, his Democratic rival, and a strong environmentalist, had strong support.
“He’s probably the direct opposite of Reece,” Shelton said.Shelton’s Republican colleague, incumbent commissioner Mac McDowell of Oak Harbor, is running unopposed in the primary and the general election.
Langley property tax
Voters were rejecting a levy that would have raised property taxes to a maximum of $2.42 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. For the owner of a $250,000 home, the city’s annual property tax would have been $603.
Mayor Neil Colburn proposed the new tax to pay for a full-time planner for Langley to help with growth and with expanding the local marina.
The property tax also was proposed to offset an anticipated $185,000 budget shortfall, said Hal Seligson, a planning commissioner in Langley.
Coupeville fire levy
Voters were approving a fire levy that would increase property taxes to $1.29 from $1.19 per $1,000 assessed value.
The levy was projected to add $87,000 in annual revenue for Fire District 5. That would help the district cope with a 64 percent increase in calls in the past five years.
Oak Harbor library
Voters in Oak Harbor and north Whidbey were rejecting a 20-year, $12 million construction bond to pay for a new 30,000-square-foot library in Oak Harbor. The owner of a $200,000 home would pay about $68 a year if the measure passes. Voters also were rejecting creation of a new taxing district. The district boundaries would have mirrored the Oak Harbor School District.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
