- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Preliminary results show Northshore Fire Measure E tax fails
Measure E seeks to increase the fire fee on property tax bills for single family residences to $120 per year, compared to current amounts of $45 in Upper Lake, $57.50 in Nice, and $60 in Clearlake Oaks and Lucerne, as Lake County News has reported.
Northshore Fire Chief Jay Beristianos said the increase is needed to keep the district sustainable in the years ahead.
Beristianos said the measure needed to pass by a supermajority of 66.7 percent.
In preliminary results released Tuesday night by the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, with all 12 precincts reporting, the measure received 54.1 percent of the vote in its favor, with 45.9 percent opposed.
The initial count indicated there was only a 25.9 percent turnout. That amounts to approximately 1,587 ballots, with 254 cast at precincts and 1,333 cast as absentees, the Registrar of Voters Office reported.
However, those results are far from final, as there is still work to be done to certify the election. That means the final tallies are likely to show more votes cast overall and a change in the voting breakdown.
The Registrar of Voters Office will begin the official canvass of the special election at 9 a.m. Thursday.
That process – which includes continuing to count absentee ballots that come in via mail over the next few days – typically is required to be completed within 30 days.
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