In the Aug. 1 primary election, Vashon voters voted decisively to approve Vashon Island Fire & Rescue’s “levy lid lift” and also picked two school board candidates to advance to the November ballot.
They also turned out in droves to weigh in on other county issues on the ballot. Vashon’s turnout for the election topped 50 percent — by far the highest of any community in King County.
School board
In the four-person primary race for Pos. 3 on Vashon’s school board, candidates Martha Woodward and Angela Marshall overtook Gator Lanphear and River Branch by significant margins, and will now advance to the November 7 election.
As of Monday, Aug. 7, Woodard has garnered 54 percent of the votes in the four-way contest, followed by Marshall, who has received 28.65 percent of the votes.
Lanphear, an educator and activist for diversity, equity and inclusion, had, as of Monday afternoon, received 11.10 percent of the votes. Branch, a college professor, got 5.75 percent.
Marshall, the parent of two Chautauqua Elementary School (CES) students, is the deputy director of King County’s Labor Relations office.
In a candidate’s statement, Marshall said her long professional experience in public policy, government and labor relations had proven her capable of meeting “the challenge of making sustainable and responsible decisions as a steward of public funds, while also delivering continuous improvement measures in ways that make a meaningful impact to King County residents.”
Marshall said she was inspired to run for school board “after observing a blurring of healthy boundaries over the years between the functions of the board and district administration.”
Woodard, who retired in 2016 after a 33-year career as a teacher at Vashon High School, said in an interview that the single most pressing issue facing the school board at this time is to ensure that the district provides high-quality education for everyone.
She described this platform as touching on everything — from how the Washington legislature funds education to localized concerns about administrative oversight of the district.
She has been endorsed by Vashon Education Association and the National Women’s Political + Caucus.
The race between Marshall and Woodard, as well as three other seats on the five-seat school board, will be decided in the November election. All but one of the candidates for open board positions, current board member Lucia Armenta, faces a contested race. Allison Krutsinger, the board’s current chair, is not up for re-election.
Fire Levy Lift
A “levy lid lift” measure, put before voters by Vashon Island Fire & Rescue, passed with strong support from island voters, garnering 61.33 percent of the vote as of Monday afternoon.
The property tax measure asked islanders to increase VIFR’s levy rate from about $1.13 per $1,000 of assessed value this year to $1.50 — the maximum allowed by state law — in 2024. The measure also allows the district to increase its levy rate by another six percent per year through 2029, though not to exceed the $1.50 per $1000 assessed value cap.
Passage of the levy lift, commissioners and supporters said, was critical to adequately meet the current and future needs of the island for timely and effective emergency response.
The increased funding will be used to upgrade VIFR’s aging fleet, increase staffing and make other significant improvements detailed in the district’s recently adopted strategic plan.
An analysis of election-night returns, by precinct, shows that while the levy lid lift got at least 50 percent of the vote in all 19 island precincts, it did best on the South End and on Maury Island.
VIFR had argued those neighborhoods, in particular, would benefit from the approval of the measure, because it would provide funding to staff the currently unstaffed Burton station. That would reduce response times to the South End and Maury, and perhaps keep homeowners insurance premiums there lower, levy supporters said.
The lid lift did best — 68 percent — in Sealth precinct, on Vashon’s southwest tip. Other precincts that gave the measure strong “yes” votes included Burton, Tahlequah, Portage and Dockton.
The measure got its lowest support — exactly 50 percent — in the Lisabuela precinct, on the West Side. Other precincts in which the lift barely got a majority: Dilworth; Baker, which includes part of Vashon town; and Biloxi, on the North End.
Prop 1
Countywide, voters gave 71.59% approval for the renewal of the county’s Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy.
The levy funds regional health and human services and capital facilities for veterans and military service members and their families; seniors and their caregivers; and what the county defines as “resilient communities.”
Approved by voters in 2005, 2011, and 2017, the property tax levy was up for voter consideration for the fourth time. It authorizes an additional six-year property tax levy, beginning, in 2024 at 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, with the 2024 levy amount being the base for calculating annual increases by 3.5% in 2025-2029.
Past funding from this levy has gone to many Vashon social service causes, including the Vashon Food Bank, Vashon Senior Center, Vashon Youth & Family Services, Vashon HouseHold, The DOVE Project, Vashon Care Network and the Vashon Veterans Association.
King County Councilmember
In a three-way primary race for the No. 8 district position on the King County Council — forced by the entry of perennial candidate GoodSpaceGuy into the race — current Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda easily bested Burien Mayor Sofia Aragon and GoodSpaceGuy.
Mosqueda, received 57.5 percent of the county vote overall, with Aragon getting 37.6 percent. GoodSpaceGuy got around 4.4 percent of the vote.
In November, Mosqueda and Aragon will face off to succeed longtime King County Council member Joe McDermott to represent District 8 — a swath of the county ranging through the disparate communities of Vashon, Burien, White Center, and West Seattle, and from the International District to First Hill in Seattle.
