Ballots going out for special election

NEWPORT – Voters in the Selkirk, Cusick, Newport school districts and Fire District 4 will soon be receiving ballots in the mail for the special election. The ballots went out Jan. 21-22 and are due back no later than Feb. 10.

Pend Oreille County Elections supervisor Liz Krizenesky encourages people not to wait too long to return ballots.

“We’re encouraging people to mail them several days early,” she said, or use the county drop boxes. If they do mail them, voters should make sure the ballot is hand postmarked. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Feb. 10 to be counted.

Each of the three public school districts will have Educational Programs and Operations levies on the ballot. A simple majority is needed to pass.

Selkirk School District voters will be asked to approve a proposition authorizing an excess tax levy to be made annually for three years starting in 2026 for collection in 2027, with $785,000 collected in 2027, $825,000 in 2028 and $865,000 for 2029, according to the Proposition No. 1, Replacement of Expiring Educational Programs Levy.

Cusick School District voters will also be asked to vote on Proposition No. 1 Replacement of Expiring Educational Programs Levy, an excess tax levy, with $550,000 collected each of the three years, 2027, 2028 and 2029.

Newport School District voters will have two things on which to vote.

Proposition No. 2 is the renewal of an Expiring Educational Programs Levy, with $2,810,862 to be collected in 2027, $2,951,405 to be collected in 2028 and $3,039,947 to be collected in 2029, at a rate of about $1.45 per $1,000 assessed value. It requires a simple majority to pass.

Newport School District voters will also be asked if they want to approve the district issuing $46.3 million in general obligation bonds maturing in 23 years for the renovation and modernization of the 45-year-old Newport High School, replacing aged HVAC systems and roofing, renovating classrooms, labs, music, and other core facility areas, upgrading career and technical spaces to increase hands-on learning, make site improvements and conduct necessary additions.

The Newport School District Board is proposing the bond at an estimated rate of $1.89 per $1,000 in assessed property value for up to 23 years. The bond requires a 60% majority to pass.

Voters in Fire District 4 will be asked to authorize Proposition No. 1 for the merger of Pend Oreille County Fire Protection District No. 4 into Pend Oreille County Fire Protection District No. 2. A simple majority is needed to pass.