Voters Support Public Services in Primary GO: FIRST RESPONDERS | EDUCATION & LIBRARIES | PARKS & OTHER | CONCLUSION
For years, Washington's voters have had to put up with a slew of lies and misleading statements put out by anti-tax initiative profiteer Tim Eyman, who repeatedly claims that voters are overwhelmingly in favor of his tax-cutting initiatives because their taxes, especially property taxes, are too high, and government is not as efficient or lean as it could be.
Voters obviously disagree with this sentiment, and they showed that in the September 14th, 2004 Primary.
In order to create this report, Permanent Defense contacted each county's auditor or elections divisions to obtain information about local levy and proposition data, including requirements for passage, type of levy or proposition, and the actual election returns.
Out of 132 levies and propositions that were on the primary ballot, 100 were approved - a great success ratio, especially considering that more than half of the measures that were approved required a 60% supermajority vote and 40% minimum turnout, which they met
We are pleased to present the results of our research to the general public.
REPORT BREAKDOWN
Voters Support First Responders and Emergency Services
© 2007 Permanent Defense
Paid for by Permanent Defense PAC
A Northwest Progressive Institute organization
Post Office Box 264, Redmond, WA 98073-0264
Welcome to Permanent Defense's post-primary Special Report on local levies and propositions in the September 14th, 2004 election.
Research by Permanent Defense into the results of the September 14th, 2004 Primary shows that Washington State voters continue to support their local public services, overwhelmingly supporting necessary taxes to benefit public services by voting for local levies and propositions.
The results of local levies and propositions in the primary election are an excellent measure of what voters think about taxes and public services. They surpass polls and surveys as a way to gauge voters' moods and feelings towards government.
Counties Included: 24
Had Levies & Propositions on Primary Ballot
Counties Not Included: 15
Did Not Have Levies & Propositions on Primary Ballot
KEY TERMS & DEFINITIONS
Excess Levy - Special levy of additional taxes by a special district, to prevent the impairment of an obligation. Requires a 60% supermajority vote to pass. More: MRSC
Levy Lid Lift - A proposal to "lift" the limit, or "lid" of a levy, to allow for additional property taxes to be collected. Requires a simple majority vote to pass. More: MRSC
Bond - A certificate of debt issued by a government guaranteeing payment of the original investment plus interest by a specified future date. More: MRSC
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In this first section, we take a look at voters' support of first responders and emergency services. To the left, statistics compiled from all counties with relevant levies and propositions in the primary are available. To the right, a breakdown by county is available. You can also download the raw data for more information about your county.
STATEWIDE - 24 COUNTIES
Statistics compiled from across the state
There were approximately 99 levies and propositions on the primary ballot across the state related to annexation or financing of first responders and emergency services.
Breakdown by Passage - 84 passed (84%), 15 failed
- 37 passed with a simple majority, (more than 50%)
- 47 passed with a supermajority, (more than 60%)
- 11 failed with a simple majority
- 2 failed with a supermajority,
- 2 failed with a supermajority but would have passed if the requirement was a simple majority
Breakdown by Taxing Authority
- 80 were for Fire Districts,
- 16 were for Cities,
- 3 were for Hospital Districts.
Breakdown by Type
- 46 were excess, permanent, or other levies,
- 44 were levy lid lifts,
- 5 were bonds,
- 4 were annexation propositions.
Disclaimer: While Permanent Defense strives for accuracy, we cannot gurantee this report is wholly void of errors. These statistics have been compiled from over twenty different counties, and there is a possibility an error may have been made. A minimal error, however, would not affect the findings of this report.
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY
Statistics from individual counties
The following counties had levies or propositions for first responders/emergency services on their ballots.
- Adams County - 1 proposition passed
- Benton County - 1 proposition failed
- Chelan County - 1 proposition passed, 1 failed
- Clallam County - 1 proposition passed
- Clark County - 5 propositions passed,1 failed
- Grant County - 1 proposition passed, 1 failed
- Grays Harbor County- 6 propositions passed
- Island County - 1 proposition passed
- Jefferson County - 1 proposition passed
- King County - 9 propositions passed, 1 failed
- Lewis County - 2 propositions passed, 3 failed
- Mason County - 6 propositions passed
- Pacific County - 1 proposition passed
- Pierce County - 10 propositions passed, 2 failed
- San Juan County - 1 proposition passed
- Skagit County - 2 propositions passed, 1 failed
- Skamania County - 1 proposition passed
- Snohomish County - 20 prop. passed, 2 failed
- Spokane County - 9 propositions passe
- Thurston County - 6 propositions passed, 2 failed
- Yakima County - 2 propositions failed
TOTAL: 84 propositions passed, 15 failed
Voters Support Public Education & Libraries
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In this second section, we take a look at voters' support of public education and libraries. To the left, statistics compiled from all counties with relevant levies and propositions in the primary are available. To the right, a breakdown by county is available. You can also download the raw data for more information about your county.
STATEWIDE - 24 COUNTIES
Statistics compiled from across the state
There were approximately 14 levies and propositions on the primary ballot across the state related to annexation or financing of public school districts and library districts.
Breakdown by Passage - 7 passed, 7 failed
- 4 passed with a simple majority, (more than 50%)
- 3 passed with a supermajority, (more than 60%)
- 1 failed with a simple majority,
- 2 failed with a supermajority,
- 4 failed with a supermajority but would have passed if the requirement was a simple majority.
Breakdown by Taxing Authority
- 6 were for School Districts,
- 8 were for Library Districts.
Breakdown by Type
- 6 were bonds,
- 4 were annexation propositions.
- 3 were excess, permanent, or other levies,
- 1 was a levy lid lift.
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY
Statistics from individual counties
The following counties had levies or propositions for school districts and or library districts on their ballots.
- Clark County - 2 propositions passed
- Island County - 1 proposition passed, 2 failed
- King County - 2 propositions passed
- Lewis County - 1 proposition passed
- Snohomish County - 2 prop. passed, 1 failed
- Stevens - 1 proposition failed
- Wahkiakum - 1 proposition failed
TOTAL: 7 propositions passed, 7 failed
Counties with school/library propositions that would have passed had they required a simple majority:
- Wahkiakum - 1 proposition
- Island - 1 proposition
- Lewis - 1 proposition
- Snohomish - 1 proposition
WHAT-IF TOTAL: 11 propositions passed, 3 failed
Voters Support Parks and Other Public Services
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In this third section, we take a look at voters' support of parks and other public services. To the left, statistics compiled from all counties with relevant levies and propositions in the primary are available. To the right, a breakdown by county is available. You can also download the raw data for more information about your county.
STATEWIDE - 24 COUNTIES
Statistics compiled from across the state
There were approximately 19 levies and propositions on the primary ballot across the state related to annexation or financing of parks and other public services.
Breakdown by Passage - 9 passed, 10 failed
- 3 passed with a simple majority, (more than 50%)
- 6 passed with a supermajority, (more than 60%)
- 6 failed with a simple majority,
- 3 failed with a supermajority,
- 1 failed with a supermajority but would have passed if the requirement was a simple majority.
Breakdown by Purpose/Taxing Authority:
- 4 were for parks,
- 8 were for cities, (but not parks-related)
- 5 were for counties, (but not parks-related)
- 2 were for other special districts.
Breakdown by Type
- 7 were excess, permanent, or other levies,
- 5 were measures requiring only a simple majority,
- 4 were bonds.
- 3 were levy lid lifts.
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY
Statistics from individual counties
The following counties had levies or propositions for parks and other public services on their ballots.
- Adams County - 2 propositions passed
- Benton County - 2 propositions failed
- Island County - 1 proposition failed
- King County - 1 proposition failed
- Pacific County - 2 propositions failed
- Pierce County - 1 proposition failed
- San Juan County - 1 proposition passed
- Skamania County - 1 proposition passed
- Snohomish County - 2 propositions passed
- Spokane County- 1 proposition passed, 1 failed
- Stevens County - 2 propositions failed
- Thurston - 1 proposition passed
- Whitman - 1 proposition passed
TOTAL: 9 propositions passed, 10 failed
Note: Propositions most directly tied to public services tended to have the best success.
- All four parks propositions passed
- 2 tax increases (for transit and utilities) passed
- Rural counties tended to reject levy increases not associated with services (Benton, Pacific)
Conclusion
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Out of a total of 132 levies and propositions on the primary ballot across the State of Washington, 100 passed on September 14th. That's an approval rate of 75%! There was an average of five levies and propositions per county (of the 24 who had any levies and propositions on their ballot).
Another seven levies or propositions would have passed had the requirement for those propositions been only a simple majority. Supermajorities are often difficult to achieve, but in the case of the September 14th Primary, voters showed they were up to the challenge. More measures were approved by supermajority vote than were approved by simple majority vote (44 simple majority, 56 supermajority), showing a strong degree of support for local public services.
The most important result of this study could not be more clear: there is no such thing as a "tax revolt" in Washington. Voters are smart enough to understand that you can't have everything and not pay for it.
Voters are willing to approve higher taxes on themselves in order to pay for vital services such as first responders, school districts, libaries, and parks. That's because these are all services that keep Washington State's communities vibrant - something that Tim Eyman has failed to grasp. Communities are more important than huge tax cuts.
