Next ballot count set for Friday, Aug. 9

OKANOGAN – Voters within and outside of Oroville’s city limits are voting in overwhelming favor of their respective EMS levies in the early vote count of the Aug. 6 Primary Election.  Tonasket voters have also cast more ballots for Jeff McMillan in a three-way race for Tonasket City Council Position #2.

In the Emergency Medical Care and Ambulance Services Levy, voters have cast 232 votes (78.11 percent) for passage of the levy and 65 (21.8 percent) against. In the levy outside the city limits and within the Oroville School District boundaries, county voters are voting for the levy 395 (71.82 percent) in favor and 155 (28.18 percent) against. bringing back 24/7 ambulance service to the Oroville area.

The Okanogan County Commissioners and the Oroville City Council each passed resolutions for an EMS Levy of $.50 per $1,000 assessed valuation for six consecutive years beginning in 2020 for the emergency medical services and ambulance services.

A previous EMS Levy election, held last year failed to get enough votes to pass. Lifeline Ambulance, which is contracted for emergency medical services, asked and received an amended contract with the county and city that greatly reduced the number of hours the company provided to the Oroville area, relying on assistance from their Tonasket service to provide coverage when there was a need during the hours Oroville Lifeline was not scheduled for.

In the first ballot count for the Tonasket Council seat, McMillan had 71 votes, Deanna Swallom, 27 and Charlotte Betchan, 15.

Okanogan County Election officials made the first ballot count on Tuesday, Aug. 6 and at 8:14 p.m. The next ballot count is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 9. The election will be certified on Aug. 20, 2019.