Frazier, Fancher, lead in races for school boards
OKANOGAN – Even after two ballot counts, approval of the Tonasket Parks and Recreation District seems assured and two incumbent school directors may have lost their seats on their boards if the follow-up ballot counts continues along the same lines as the election night count and the second count on Friday.
The first ballot count for the Nov. 3 General Election took place at the Okanogan County Auditor’s office at 8:24 p.m. and the second count was Friday, Nov. 6.
“We have about 385 ballots left to count,” said Deputy Auditor Mila Jury, a certified elections administrator.
The results are unofficial until all the valid ballots are tallied – in order for ballots to be counted they must have been postmarked by election day. The next election count is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, with the expected certification on Tuesday, Nov. 24, according to Jury.
Tonasket Parks and Recreation District
The pro Parks & Rec. District votes increased by nearly 400 votes from the first count and is now leading 884, or 64.86 percent, to 479, or 35.14 percent against. An increase by another one percent over Tuesday’s ballot count.
The proposition seeks to create a Tonasket Park and Recreation District that would allow the district to tax people within the district to “provide leisure time activities and recreational facilities.” The district would be authorized to impose regular property tax levies of 15 cents or less per thousand dollars of assessed valuation on all property located within the Tonasket Park and Recreation District for each of five consecutive years to provide a means of both maintaining a community swimming pool and maintaining existing Tonasket City Parks.
The district would be governed by a newly elected five member board. The ballot asked voters within the district’s boundaries, both inside and outside of Tonasket city limits, to vote for a new board of five members. Running unopposed for the Parks & Rec. Board were Kathleen Thompson, Billie Kay Attwood and Jordon Weddle, for positions 1 through 3, respectively.
In position 4, the voters are asked to choose between Tyler Graves and Shawn E. Brazil. Brazil increased his 75 vote lead on Tuesday in the Friday count. He currently has a 99 vote lead with 486 votes to Graves’ 387. In position 5, David Stangland and Michael Ward both appeared on the ballot, although Ward had dropped out of the race and threw his support to Stangland. According to Tuesday’s count Stangland was leading 715 to 257.
Oroville School Board
In an upset vote, it appears Ryan Frazier, a former Oroville High School social studies teacher has defeated Rocky DeVon, the sitting chairman of the school board in Director Position 5. Frazier was a probationary teacher whose contract was not picked up after the 2014-15 school year. He is leading DeVon, who owns Oroville RE/MAX Lake and Country Realty, 658 votes (61.38 percent) to 406 votes (37.87 percent). While DeVon’s overall percentage went up after the second count, he still trails well behind Frazier, who currently works for Sun Lakes Realty in Oroville.
Kolo Moser, Agent in Charge of the Oroville Station of the U.S. Border Patrol, is ahead in the race against Becky Lewis, president of the Oroville Co-op Preschool. Moser has 653 votes (63.58 percent) to Lewis’ 364 (35.58 percent) for Director Position 2. The winner will take the seat being vacated by Amy Wise, a long time member of the school board. Moser’s lead increased slightly over Tuesday’s original vote count.
Returning to the board in Position 1 will be Todd Hill and for Position 3, Mike Egerton. Both the incumbents ran unopposed for their seats.
Tonasket School Board
In a closer race it appears Joyce Fancher, a retired Tonasket teacher and former Tonasket City Councilwoman and school board member, has regained a seat on the school board in Director Position 3. In the second vote count Fancher increased her lead to 146 votes over Olson, owner/operator of Ty Olson Construction. The current vote count is 545 (53.87 percent) to 438 (45.17 percent).
Incumbents Catherine Stangland, Director Position 2 and Jerry D. Asmussen, Director Position 5, each ran unopposed and were elected to new four-year terms.
Oroville City Council
Neysa Roley, the incumbent for the Oroville City Council in Position 5, has stretched out her lead to nearly 100 votes over her challenger, Chris Allen. After the first count she led by 58 votes and after Friday’s count she leads 210 to 118 against Allen.
In the council seat being vacated by Ed Naillon, David “Mac” McElheran is leading Robert Fuchs for Position 3. McElheran has a 48 vote lead (up two votes from Tuesday’s count), 182 to 134, over Fuchs for Council Position 3.
Incumbent Walt Hart III, is also returning to the council in Position 4. Hart, a long time member of the council, ran unopposed this election.
Tonasket City Council
All three positions up for election on the Tonasket City Council were unchallenged. Elected to Positions 2 and 4 are Jensen Sackman and Maria Moreno, respectively, while Claire Jefko, the incumbent, returns to Position 5.
Other unopposed offices
Herbert Wandler finds himself back on the board for Okanogan County Hospital District 4. The current North Valley Hospital District Commissioner ran unopposed for another six-year term in Position 3.
Candidates for other offices include: Gary Nelson, Cemetery District 4 (Riverview, Oroville); Kenneth D. Ripley, Commissioner Position 3 for Fire District 1 (Oroville, Rural); Duane Van Woert and Jack Denison, for Commissioner Positions 2 and 3 respectively, for Fire District 4 (Tonasket area), Mark Robanske for Position 3, for Fire District 12 (Swanson Mill); Michael Woelke and Robert K. Bauer, for Commissioner Positions 2 and 3 respectively, for Fire District 16 (Aeneas Valley) and Guy D. Fisher, Leland “Lee” Chapman and Mike Cantwell, for Commissioner Positions 1, 2 and 3, respectively for the Lake Osoyoos Water District.
For full county election results see: http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/okanogan/.
Frazier, Fancher, lead in races for school boards
