Pullman to re-run bonds proposals

City of Pullman officials Dec. 20 officially filed to re-run the two major bond levy proposals which were on the general election ballot. City council members at Pullman the night of Dec.19 opted to put the measure in front of Pullman voters for a second time because of possible problems marketing the bonds.

The first measure again seeks a $10.5 million bond issue for 20 years with the aim of purchasing the Encounter Ministries Church property along S. Grand for a new city hall. Pullman's other measure will again seek $2.4 million for a 10-year bond issue for parks and pathways.

Outcome of the election from the Nov. 7 vote was in question because the total number of voters who turned out failed to meet the number required to validate the election.

However, Pullman officials believed the measures had passed because the number of "yes" votes cast in the Nov. 7 tally exceeded the number of yes votes needed to pass the measures for the required turnout number.

Pullman City Attorney Laura McAloon advised council members a rerun would be the least risky course of action to avoid a possible legal challenge of the bonds.

The deadline for filing a measure for the Feb. 13 election date was Friday.

The voter turnout validation figure for the Feb. 12 election will be less than half of the figure which Pullman failed to meet in the Nov. 7 election. The new number will be 1,550, compared to the 3,854 required in November. That figure was based on 40 percent of voters in the 2016 presidential election, and the new figure is based on 40 percent of voters in the Nov. 7 election.

After the final certification count, Pullman's proposition for a levy for $10.5 million for the 20-year bond issue finished with 3,724 votes, and the request for $2.4 million for a 10-year bond issue finished with 3,695 votes. Both measures exceeded the required 60 percent approval rate, with the $10.5 million getting 63.4 percent (2410 to 1,388,) and the $2.4 million measure at 73.7 percent (2,783 to 991.) Those margins qualified the measure for approval because the actual yes vote exceeded 60 percent of the required turnout.

The rerun of the two Pullman bond measures on the Feb. 13 ballot will be the same ballot as the Colfax School District bond measure, which seeks voter approval of a proposal for a levy for a 20-year bond measure for $18.9 million for renovations and upgrades to school buildings.

All but two school districts in the county will have special levy measures on the February ballot, along with a Whitman County Library District proposal to lift a levy lid.