Fire District 23's levy in the primary election has gone down to defeat, but all is not necessarily lost.
The district's commissioners already plan to re-run the funding measure in the hope that it will pass on the second attempt. Before that happens, levy supporters could also request a recount that could - although doubtful - snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
A third possible silver lining is a federal grant that the district hopes to receive and apply toward two years' worth of salary for the two full-time firefighters in the district, which faces possible cuts in service if the levy isn't approved.
Voting in the primary election ended Aug. 7. In final results posted Tuesday, Proposition 1 was ejected by a margin of 50.7 percent (163 no votes) to 49.2 percent (159 yes). A simple majority is all that was needed for the measure to pass or fail.
Despite the close finish, there is no automatic recount. State election laws only require recounts between candidates and in statewide ballot measures, not for local ballot measures, said Mike Rooney, the county's elections manager. Any group of five or more registered voters can file a written request for a local recount. The deadline is this Thursday at 4:30 p.m., two days after the election results are certified, Rooney said.
There has been no indication that the district's commissioners or any other supporters of the levy will ask for a recount.
District 23 covers the Ashford, Elbe and Alder areas.
(Read more coverage of the Fire District 23 levy results in the Aug. 22 print edition of The Dispatch)
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