Early election returns showed the Marion County Fire District #1 operating levy passing by a wide margin Wednesday, May 19.
The levy was passing with nearly a 2-to-1 ratio (64.5% approval) in the initial reports from the Marion County Clerk’s Office. Election results are not final and would not be updated with new tallies until Thursday, May 20, past press time.
The fire district asked voters MCFD#1 to approve a local option levy of $0.59 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That’s approximately $59 (or $4.92 per month) per $100,000 of assessed property value.
Colleen Busch was elected to serve a first term on the Keizer Fire District Board of Directors. Joe Van Meter was re-elected to the board. Both ran unopposed.
The outcome of elections for the Salem-Keizer School Board were much more uncertain, but progressive candidates were leading in all four races.
In Zone 1, Osvaldo Avila was leading a group of four candidates. Avila had 45.77% of the vote. His closest competitor, Kari Zohner had 39.42 percent at press time.
In Zone 2, Ashley Carson Cottingham was leading Linda Farrington. Carson Cottingham had 51.24% of the vote to Farrington’s 48.76.
In Zone 5, current board member Jesse Lippold Peone appeared to have lost his seat in a landslide. Karina Guzman Ortiz was leading the three-way race with 47.65% of the vote. Mike Slagle had 45.13% of the vote and Lippold Peone was a distant third with 7.22%.
In Zone 7, Maria Hinos Pressey had 52.21% of the vote to Liam Collins 47.79% of the votes tallied.
Voter turnout throughout Marion County was a meager 20.48%.