SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Early results of Tuesday’s Spokane County Special Elections indicate Spokane County Fire District 8 will get the levy increase it was hoping for.
As of 8:45 p.m. on April 22, about 57% of voters support the proposed levy increase, while roughly 42% oppose it.
Voter turnout was about 31%, with nearly 6,200 ballots cast out of the roughly 20,000 registered voters.
The levy increase requires a simple majority of 50% to pass.
SCFD8 said it proposed the increase to its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy to improve paramedic coverage and replace critical life-saving equipment.
If approved, the levy increase would allow the department to hire two additional firefighter paramedics.
For homeowners in the district, a property value of about $750,000 would see annual EMS levy costs rise from the current rate of $157 a year to about $357 a year.
The April Special Election is a partial-county election for residents in SCFD8 and the Orchard Prairie School District only.
The next ballot count will be on Wednesday with results officially certified on May 2.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the levy increase was failing and needed 60% of votes to pass, when it actually only requires a simple majority of over 50% and is passing.
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