The second time may not be the charm for the proposed merger of the Aberdeen and Hoquiam fire departments into the Central Grays Harbor Regional Fire Authority (RFA).

Preliminary results from Tuesday’s special election have the proposed RFA falling below the supermajority threshold it needs to pass. A minimum 60 percent of votes cast in both Aberdeen and Hoquiam must be in favor of the RFA for the joint resolution to be successful. As of 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, there were an estimated 1,500 votes left to be counted.

According to the Grays Harbor County Auditor’s Election Division, Proposition 1 received 53.39 percent of the “yes” votes and 46.61 percent of the “no” votes in Aberdeen, with 2,053 ballots cast. The RFA had more support in Hoquiam, on a percentage basis, with 55.31 percent of the “yes” votes and 44.69 percent of the “no” votes, for a total of 1,195 votes.

The RFA ballot measure previously failed by 14 votes when presented to voters in the November General Election.

In a brief call with The Daily World, Corri Schmid, Finance Director for the city of Hoquiam, shared the next steps for the RFA planning committee and supporting staff should the measure fail again.

“The cities will have to step back and reevaluate our current plan,” she said. “Being operational like this is unsustainable.”

The proposal to create a regional fire authority began after a 2018-19 feasibility study conducted by Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) found that the current operating status of both Hoquiam Fire Department (HFD) and Aberdeen Fire Department (AFD) to be unsustainable. Plans for the RFA were developed to ensure that the departments were able to operate at fire standard staffing levels, and to provide quality service while improving the safety of fire department staff.

While the majority of Aberdeen and Hoquiam voters have cast their ballots in favor of the RFA, with so few votes remaining, the measure is facing an uphill battle to reach a 60 percent supermajority across both cities.

“As to where the cities will go from here, that will have to be a decision made by the city councils after the results are tabulated, which looks at this point like they will not be favorable towards creating an RFA, the city councils will have to regroup and decide which path they want to pursue moving forward,” said Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay.

In other elections results, the future does not look promising for a proposed 25-year, $110 million bond measure put forth by the North Beach School District. With 2,738 votes in, the measure received 40.43 percent of the “yes” votes, and 59.57 percent of the “no” votes.

With an estimated tax rate of $1.75 per $1,000, the new bond measure would allow the district to improve the seismic safety of its buildings. The measure would fund the construction of Pacific Beach Elementary (PBE) at a new, higher-elevation location. PBE was built in 1956, before seismic construction codes, and was identified by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources as a “very high priority” for seismic retrofits.

While North Beach School District Superintendent Andrew Kelly is “extremely disappointed” about the preliminary results for the bond measure, he is prepared to work with the North Beach Board of Directors to revise Proposition 1 and reintroduce it to the community in April.

“The district still has urgent needs that we have to work to address,” he said. “We thought we put our best thinking forward, but clearly we need to revise our plan.”

Kelly is particularly concerned about losing out on $6 million in state funding that is contingent on the district successfully passing the measure.

“I think it’s foolish for the community to let that funding get away. It’s unconscionable that we wouldn’t come together,” he said.

The proposed levy renewal put forth by the North Beach School District still remains very close, with 49.46 percent of the voters saying “yes” and 50.54 percent “no” according to preliminary results.

Educational levies have seen more support elsewhere in the county, including the Hoquiam School District, where 57.81 percent of voters saying “yes” and 42.19 percent saying “no” with 1,543 ballots counted. Despite a low ballot count of only 97 votes, Satsop voters have overwhelmingly supported the replacement educational levy, with 75.26 percent in favor and 24.74 percent against.

The school levy in Whiskah has received similar support, with 71.71 percent saying “yes” and 28.29 percent saying “no,” with 205 ballots cast. Taholah, Cosmopolis, and Quinault school levies have a high chance of passing as well based on preliminary results.

The future of the Elma replacement educational levy is less certain, with 53.14 percent of voters saying “yes” and 46.86 of voters saying “no” with 1,304 votes in. In McCleary, votes in favor of the replacement educational levy are trailing behind those against, 45.65 percent to 54.35 percent after 598 votes. East County voters also seem to be in favor of increasing the board of commissioners of East Grays Harbor Fire and Rescue from three to five members, with 59.23 percent saying “yes” and 40.77 percent saying “no.”

The next ballot count update will be on Thursday, Feb. 10.