Ephrata-area voters reject $30m CBH hospital bond proposition
EPHRATA – A proposed $30 million construction bond intended to fund improvements to Columbia Basin Hospital and Family Medicine facilities has been rejected by Ephrata-area voters.
Updated tallies from Tuesday’s election showed the measure failing with only 45.6% of the vote. For passage, the proposal needed at least 60% approval. There were 1,013 ballots cast in favor of the measure, compared to 1,209 in opposition (54.4%) – a difference of 196 votes – according to Wednesday’s updated count by Grant County elections officials.
The proposition called for a property tax increase within Ephrata-based Grant County Public Hospital District No. 3, which operates the local hospital, medical clinic, assisted living facility and nursing home. According to district information, the proposed bond would be paid off over a 30-year period with funds going toward expanded clinic hours, new specialty services, new community spaces, a pharmacy, and same-day outpatient procedures including minor surgeries.
On Monday, hospital administrator Rosalinda Kibby said district officials may consider placing another bond proposal on the November general election ballot if the measure failed during Tuesday’s primary election. Ultimately, that decision will rest with the district’s five-member board of commissioners.
In other area results from Tuesday’s primary election in Grant County:
-- Soap Lake School Board member Dwight Deines trailed two challengers for election representing the school district’s No. 5/at-large position. Rebecca Leavell led the balloting with 184 votes (43%), followed by Mark Novik with 145 votes (33.9%), and Deines with 95 (22.2%). As the top two candidates, Leavell and Novik now advance to the Nov. 4 general election.
-- Three incumbents on the Quincy City Council led their respective challengers, with the top two candidates in each race now advancing to November’s election. The trio of primary races involved:
Council Position No. 2 – incumbent Jeff Spence, 367 votes (56.6%); Rob Madera, 234 votes (36.1%); Lupe Hernandez, 46 votes (7.1%).
Council Position No. 4 – incumbent Andrew Royer, 425 votes (65.8%); Rey Esparza, 184 votes (28.5%); Josue Madera, 36 votes (5.6%).
Council Position No. 5 – incumbent Dave Dormier, 334 votes (52.2%); Pete Shelton, 177 votes (27.7%); Ricardo Ruesga Loera, 128 votes (20.0%).
-- Incumbent Grand Coulee mayor Ruth Dalton was outpolled in Tuesday’s primary by challenger Chantel Crowe. Crowe received 103 votes (55.1%) compared to Dalton’s 66 votes (35.3%). Both move on to November’s ballot. A third candidate, Micah Seekins, received 16 votes (8.6%) and was eliminated from contention.
Overall, voter turnout was only 24.3% for Tuesday’s primary, according to the county elections department. Within the affected districts, there are 14,407 registered voters but only 3,496 ballots were tallied.
