2 weeks Ago
Columbia County voters favored Columbia County Pool District Proposition 1, and with it summer fun by the pool, according to early general election results released on Tuesday, Nov. 5. As of 8:36 p.
m., the levy was supported with 61.7% to 38.
3%, or 1,355 votes to 841 votes. Proposition 1 allows a $200,000 excess levy to fund the Dayton Community Pool District, their restoration project and any annual maintenance required for the community pool once operational. Dayton's pool has been closed since 2017 and was filled with dirt in 2022 .
The decision to fill the pool with dirt stemmed from safety concerns. Currently, the closest community pool for Dayton and Waitsburg residents is in Prescott, which is about 18 miles away from Dayton and 9 miles from Waitsburg. The excess levy aims to provide the district with an annual $200,000 budget, and any leftover funds would roll over into the following year’s budget.
The excess levy tax would be placed on real and personal property, which could add up to 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Dianne McKinley, a board commissioner on the district, said the increase taxpayers would see on their property taxes will be capped at 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed value and could potentially be lower, such as 18 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The district, which was formed through a vote in 2023, has five board commissioners, including Dianne McKinley, Lisa Naylor, Terri Hessler, Ted Lowe and Katie Leid.
Tuesday night, Leid said the board is feeling excited over the news, "It means we can move forward, and we can start figuring out how we can have a pool for our kids, hopefully in 2025 or 2026." Some of the operational costs the levy covers for the district includes election fees, board insurance and legal services. Election results will be updated as more ballots are processed and will be certified on Tuesday, Nov.
26. Election Center Find voter resources and full coverage of the Nov. 8 election at the UB Election Center.
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