A proposal by Lewis County Fire District 10 in Packwood to raise its levy rate so the district can hire paramedics was passing as of election night on Tuesday, according to data released by the Lewis County Auditor’s Office.
If passed, District 10’s levy lift proposal on the Aug. 6 ballot would authorize District 10 to establish its levy rate at $1.28 per $1,000 of assessed value for collection in 2025. The district’s current levy rate sits at 33 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
Initial counts released by the auditor’s office at 8:03 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, showed District 10’s proposal as passing with 66.96%, or 231 votes, in favor of the measure and 33.04%, or 114 votes, opposed to the measure.
If passed, additional levy funding would be used to contract for 24/7 professional paramedic availability from the Packwood Fire Station.
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.
