Bend Fire’s levy narrowly passes, La Pine’s more handily; Crook County voters sweep out school, park board incumbents

(Update: Latest Deschutes County count holds Bend Fire levy winning margin)

Most other money measures passing, several handily; incumbents also win many races

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Despite the economic uncertainties of the times, Bend-area voters narrowly approved a significantly larger five-year operating levy for Bend Fire & Rescue Tuesday night, as well as other money measures around Deschutes County, while Crook County voters turned out in relatively high numbers to oust several school and park board incumbents.

In the first count of the night, at 22 percent of total ballots set, Bend residents were approving a nearly four times higher tax rate for fire and emergency services --- 76 cents per $1,000 of value, compared to the current 20 cents – by a 51 to 49 percent margin, but it widened to 52 to 48 percent in the second count around 10 p.m. and held onto it in the final count, around midnight -- a winning margin of about 1,100 votes out of 22,500 cast.

The fire levy vote’s margin of passing also remained at 52-48 percent in the surrounding Deschutes County Rural Fire District No. 2, served by Bend Fire.

La Pine Fire and Rescue’s a new, additional five-year operating levy at 64 cents per $1,000 to increase staffing drew stronger support, with 67 percent voting yes to 33 percent against.

It also wasn’t even close for the Sisters Park and Rec District, with nearly 79 percent of voters backing a five-year renewal of its 15-cent per $,1000 operating levy. Almost as strong was the margin of approval for a five-year renewal of the Sisters School District’s levy, 75 to 25 percent.

In some hard-fought Bend-La Pine School Board races, Zone 3 candidate Cameron Fischer was winning handily over Christopher Strengberg, with 73 percent of the vote, and it was a similar winning margin for Amy Tatom, with 71 percent of the vote to 28 percent for Sherrie Grieef.

Current board Chair Melissa Barnes Dholakia easily won re-election over challenger Chet Wamboldt, garnering 69 percent of the initial vote count, and appointed board member Kina Chadwick was narrowly ahead in a close four-way race, with 32 percent of the vote, about 200 votes ahead of Elizabeth Justema. Nicole Fitch was third and Rod Hanson fourth.

Former Bend police chief Jim Porter dominated a five-way race for the Zone 6 seat on the Central Oregon Community College board, with 66 percent of the vote. It was a much closer race for the other contested seat, as Erin Mertz was ahead of Diane Berry with about 53 percent of the vote.

A two-way race to fill a 2-year unexpired term on the Redmond School Board showed Amanda Page ahead of Wendell Otto, 44 to 46 percent. Board member Keri Lopez was fending off challenger Brad Porterfield, 57 to 43 percent, as was Liz Goodrich, with 60 percent of the ballots to 40 percent for challenger John Campbell.

For the Redmond Park Board, David Rouse was winning a three-way race with about 45 percent to BJ Soper with 30 percent and Zachary Harmon with 25 percent. In a two-way race, Lena Berry had 60 percent to about 40 percent for Louie Arzaga.

Incumbents also were prevailing on the Deschutes Public Library Board, as Cynthia Claridge was defeating Tony Oliver 57 to 43 percent and Ray Miao had 61 percent of the early vote to 38 percent for challenger Marisa Chappell Hossick.

Sisters School Board member Jeff Smith also was winning a contested reelection race, defeating Karissa Bilderback, 57 to 43 percent. Fellow board member Asa Sarver garnered nearly 50 percent of the vote to win a three-way race for his seat against challengers Hilary (Hedemark) Saunders and Jayne Simmons.

In Crook County, nearly 38% of ballots had been returned by election night, the highest ballot return Clerk Cheryl Seely has seen in the usually low-turnout special district election. And the results clearly showed a desire for major change on both the school and park boards. Seely said all ballots were counted by 8 p.m. except the ones that are postmarked by Tuesday and come in the mail in coming days.

School board member Doug Smith was losing to challenger Cheyenne Edgerly, 54 to 46 percent, or by about 600 votes, while Fellow incumbent Patti Patti Norris was losing to challenger Jessica Brumble by a larger margin of 56 to 43 percent, or about 900 votes.

In a three-way race, current board Chair Jessica Ritter finished second to challenger Jennifer Knight, 51 to 37 percent, with fellow challenger Eddy Howard third at 11 percent.

A similar wave of change swept three newcomers onto the Crook County Parks and Rec board, as incumbent Barbara Punch lost to challenger Scott Davis, 65 to 35 percent, incumbent Carol Benkosky lost to challenger Jeff Huntley, 61 to 39 percent, and board member Randy Winders finished fourth in a four-way race captured by Rob Gray, with 35 percent of the total.

The Bowman Museum, meanwhile, fared far better at renewing its current five-year local option levy than it did when it tried for an increase, with 78 percent support this time around, to just 22 percent opposed.

In Jefferson County, the one-school Black Butte-Camp Sherman School District's bond measure appeared to be passing, 54 to 46 percent.