Lewis County Fire District 5’s emergency services levy proposal was passing as of election night, according to data released by the Lewis County Auditor’s Office.
As of 8:03 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 1,187 ballots, or 63.31% of the total, were in favor of the levy, and 688, or 36.69% of the total, were opposed.
Upon passing, the ballot measure would renew the Napavine-based fire department’s levy at a rate of 48 cents per $1,000 of assessed value; up from the current rate of 32.1 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
The levy funding would pay for emergency medical services, including a paramedic.
The department has also vowed to amend its policies to allow “transport forgiveness” for in-district residents, which means residents would not be additionally billed for transportation if an insurance company has paid, according to previous Chronicle reporting.
The Lewis County Auditor’s Office counted a total of 17,118 ballots on election night, with an estimated 1,500 ballots left to count. The next count will be released at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
As of election night, the Lewis County Auditor’s Office estimated voter turnout to be 30.83%.
The election will be certified on Aug. 20.
