The countywide sales tax increase of one-tenth of one percent to improve the radio infrastructure for emergency services is passing with 62.64 percent of the vote.

With slightly more than one-quarter of the ballots returned and counted, the measure is passing 7,529 votes for and 4,490 votes against.

The measure would pay for installing new radio towers, that would cost around $8 million, according to one estimate. The emergency services infrastructure upgrades would benefit the Grays Harbor Communications Center which runs the countywide E-911 dispatching.

GHCC services 30 agencies across the county. The only two local fire, EMS or law enforcement agencies that operate in the county not serviced by GHCC are the Washington State Patrol and the Chehalis Tribal Police Department.

The GHCC is led by two governing boards. The Operations Board consists of law enforcement leaders in the county; the Administrative Board is made up of one county commissioner and mayors of the majority of the cities in the county. Both bodies would have to approve upgrades to the system.

There is no end date for the increase of the sales tax.