Quincy, Warden pass levies in re-run

Districts can now move on with assessing budgets, staffing issues

COLUMBIA BASIN — More than two months after failing their maintenance and operation levies, both Quincy and Warden school districts were able to obtain the 60 percent supermajority vote to pass their levies.

Unofficial numbers documented with the Grant County Auditor's office as of Wednesday morning reported the Quincy School District received 64.91 percent in favor compared to the 56.4 percent it received when the levy went to vote Feb. 7.

As of early Wednesday Warden had 66.56 percent vote yes on the levy. On Feb. 7, the district failed the levy by a close margin of 59.74.

April 25 was the deadline for ballots to be mailed.

"I just would like to thank them for helping us pass this levy because it really was a critical event for this community to pass that," said QSD superintendent Roger Fox.

Larry Blades, superintendent in the Warden School District, praised the community and committee members for their help passing the levy.

"We're very pleased with the public coming out and the community giving us the 60 percent needed to pass the levy," Blades said. "We can get back to planning the future of Warden kids."

The QSD is running a two year levy. The collection rate for 2007 is $2.92 per $1,000 of assessed property value with $2,375,000 collected. In 2008 the collection rate is $2.93 per $1,000 of assessed value with $2,425,000 collected.

Warden is running a two year levy. The collection rate per $1,000 of assessed property value is $3.57 in 2007 with $850,000 collected and $3.67 in 2008 with $875,000 collected.

Blades attributed more involvement by a citizens committee and leaving a school bond measure off the ballot as one reason the levy had better success the second time around.

"We were more interested in our bond and kind of let the levy go aside," Blades said of the first time the district ran its levy.

In Quincy, Fox commented that the failure of the levy in February appeared to get voters attention.

"I think it kind of got everybody's attention when it failed and we established a new citizens committee that really stepped up and helped us pass it this time," Fox said.

With the levies passed, both districts say they can now concentrate on organizing budgets and addressing staffing and facility needs.