Three MV School Board races are also decided
The second round of Okanogan County returns from the Nov. 7 general election confirmed what earlier results indicated: the proposal to form a Methow Aquatics District is being soundly rejected, as is the proposed bond issue to build a new Three Rivers Hospital.
In the three contested races for positions on the Methow Valley School Board, incumbents Frank Kline and Judith Hardmeyer-Wright, and first-time candidate Jennifer Zbyszewski, were well ahead of their opponents.
The first round of results were posted on the Washington Secretary of State’s website shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 7). The second round was posted on Thursday (Nov. 9), with another round set for Tuesday (Nov. 14), after the newspaper went to press. The Okanogan County Auditor’s Office said Thursday that about 468 ballots were left to count, and that the voter turnout was 40.66%
The aquatics district proposal — Proposition 1 on the ballot — drew 1,033 “yes” votes in the latest returns, or 30.89%, versus 2,311 “no” votes, or 69.11%.
Three Rivers Hospital — Public Hospital District 1, which covers portions of Okanogan and Douglas counties including the Methow Valley — had proposed a $72 million bond issue to replace the aging hospital in Brewster. Overall, it was being rejected, 2,677 “no” votes (56.57%) to 2,055 “yes” votes (43.43%).
Typically, the hospital district’s Douglas County voters are less supportive of money requests, and that is again the case in early returns. In Douglas County, 40.09% of the voters supported the bond issue request; in Okanogan County, 43.79% of voters were in favor of the proposal.
Because the proposal was for a bond issue, approval would require a 60% supermajority under state law.
Methow Valley School Board
• In the contest for the District 1 position, incumbent Judith Hardmeyer-Wright drew 2,131 votes (68.45%), while challenger Austin Lott tallied 972 votes (31.22%).
• The race for the District 3 seat being vacated by incumbent Mary Anne Quigley saw Jennifer Zbyszewski pull ahead of Scott Larson, drawing 2,447 votes (73.55%) to Larson’s 874 (26.27%).
• In the race for the District 5 (at large) seat, incumbent Frank Kline was outpolling challenger Mike Liu, 2,153 votes (66.08%) to 1,096 votes (33.64%).
Board members Dana Stromberger and Gary Marchbank were not up for re-election.
Other races
Most other elected offices were uncontested, with only a handful of write-in votes for each position.
• Twisp Mayor Soo Ing-Moody, who has held that office since 2010 and has been re-elected three times, did not seek re-election. Incumbent Twisp Town Council member Hans Smith did not seek re-election to his current position because he ran for mayor to replace Ing-Moody.
Council incumbents Mark Easton and Alan Caswell did not file for re-election. Elliot Thrasher is running unopposed for the Position 3 seat now held by Caswell. Will Menzies seeks the Position 4 seat now held by Easton and is unopposed. Tim Matsui is seeking the Position 5 seat that Smith is giving up to run for mayor, and is also unopposed. Council members Katrina Auburn and Aaron Studen were not up for re-election.
• In Winthrop, incumbents Seth Miles (Position 4), Ben Nelson (Position 3) and Bill McAdow (Position 5) all filed for re-election and were unopposed. Mayor Sally Ranzau and council members Joseph O’Driscoll and Kirstin Vanderhalf were not up for re-election.
• The sole candidate to replace Jerry Palm for a six-year term on the three-member Fire District 6 board of commissioners (Position 3) is John Lindsey of Twisp. Commissioners Miles Milliken and Darold Brandenburg were not up for re-election.
• In Hospital District 1 (Three Rivers Hospital), board incumbents David Garcia and Tracy Shrable both filed for re-election to six-year terms.
• Gary Marchbank was unopposed in seeking re-election to the Cemetery District 1 board of commissioners; Leone Johnson-Edson was unopposed in seeking re-election to the Cemetery District 2 board of commissioners.
All of the local offices are non-partisan.
