Voters initially back public-service ballot measures, but hospital lagging

Published 8:30 pm Tuesday, August 4, 2026

EVERETT — Voters across Snohomish County largely backed public-service ballot measures after initial returns in Tuesday’s primary election, but a new hospital doesn’t appear to have the necessary support.

Eight local districts, including two cities, three fire departments, a school district, a public hospital and the local library system had requests to raise funds on the ballot.

These propositions came in the form of levy lid lifts and sales tax increases, which need a simple majority to pass, as well as new levies and bond requests, which require a 60% supermajority to move forward.

Here’s how the early, unofficial results appear to be leaning after Election Day:

Public Hospital District No. 1

A $382-million bond measure to build a new hospital in Monroe does not appear to have the support to pass. After initial results on Tuesday, only 55.4% of voters backed the bond request, which needs at least 60% to pass.

EvergreenHealth Monroe, also known as Public Hospital District No. 1, was asking the public to fund a replacement hospital and health care facility to cover Monroe, Sky Valley and Snohomish Valley.

The bond would have created a temporary property tax for residents of the hospital district for up to 30 years to fund the new facility. The rate would be an average of $0.437 per $1,000 of assessed home value, or about $489 per year for a median home, according to The Daily Herald’s previous coverage.

Funds would have been used to build and equip the new hospital, as well as carry out additional capital improvements deemed necessary by the hospital district’s leadership commission.

EvergreenHealth Monroe said the bond would have add 50 inpatient beds with the ability for as many as 75 to 100 at a later time. It would also allow for expansion of the emergency department treatment capacity, additional operating rooms and updated patient care spaces, The Daily Herald reported.

In June, the EvergreenHealth Monroe Board of Commissioners voted to place an identical bond measure on the Nov. 4 election ballot. It had planned to remove the November measure if the August measure passed.

If it fails, EvergreenHealth Monroe’s leaders will “evaluate the results and determine next steps,” spokesperson Cody Miller said in an email Monday.

Sno-Isle Libraries

Local libraries will receive a boost as a vote to lift the property tax levy lid appears likely to have enough support. Early results have 56.3% of voters in favor of the request.

The Sno-Isle Libraries district asked voters to restore the library levy rate to $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Currently, the levy rate is $0.30 per $1,000 of assessed value, The Herald reported. Voters last approved the library levy rate in 2018. 

The decision to support the levy means more funding for library services, operations and maintenance. Sno-Isle Libraries serves all of Snohomish and Island counties except for Everett, which is served by the Everett Public Library.

According to a spokesperson, the library levy makes up 91% of the Sno-Isle Libraries budget.

In Snohomish County, the levy is expected to increase property taxes by about $124 per year for a median home valued at $748,100. In Island County, the increase would be about $106 per year for a median home valued at $640,150.

City of Everett

Voters in Everett are poised to back a proposition for a property tax levy lid lift to continue funding emergency medical services in the city. Initial results have the levy lid lift receiving a resounding 74.9% of the vote.

The measure asked voters to raise the city’s current emergency medical services levy from about $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value to $0.50 per $1,000 for 2027 and 2028. Everett residents can expect pay an estimated $80 more annually on their property tax as a result of the decision.

Funds from the levy hike will support about 78 positions in the city’s fire department that provide emergency medical services, The Daily Herald previously reported.

“Thank you Everett voters,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said in a statement sent on Tuesday night. “Our emergency responders and EMS services are critical to maintaining a healthy and safe community. This invests in quality services that Everett families need if they experience a crisis and I’m grateful the community agrees.”

In 2000, Everett residents voted to create a permanent levy for emergency medical services, at the same rate of $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. The levy rate decreased over time, because state law limits cities to 1% growth in property tax revenue per year.

Voters passed similar efforts to restore the rate to $0.50 per $1,000 in 2010 and 2018.

Darrington School District

A second attempt at passing a property tax levy to fund local school district operations in the town of Darrington appears likely to succeed. Voters backed the request with 69.1% in favor after Tuesday’s early results.

The school district of less than 500 students asked voters to replace an expiring levy that brings in $950,00 annually with the same level of funding through 2030. At the projected levy rate of $1.24 per $1,000 of assessed property value, the owner of a $200,000 home would pay about $248 a year.

In February, a levy sent to voters that would have raised between $1.7 million and $1.9 million per year failed by a 57.2% to 42.8% margin.

The district said the funds would go toward supporting educational programs and operations expenses that aren’t funded by the state of Washington, including plans to reduce class sizes, counselors, arts, athletics, music and extracurricular activities.

In May, a district official told The Daily Herald that athletics programs and staff positions could be in jeopardy if the levy were to fail for a second time.

City of Stanwood

A proposed sales tax increase for public safety funding in Stanwood is likely to pass. Initial results show 61.5% of voters supporting the proposition.

The ballot measure called for a 0.1% sales tax hike on all taxable purchases in the city, amounting to 10 cents for every $100 spent. Voters appear to have chosen to increase Stanwood’s sales tax from 9.3% to 9.4%.

City officials expected the tax to generate $300,000 annually beginning next year.

The additional revenue is expected to support local public safety and criminal justice, including police staffing levels, dispatch services, court operations and jail services, among other expenses.

Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue

Voters appear to have backed an effort to restore the property tax levy for emergency medical services to its previously approved rate in the greater Snohomish area with 62.7% voting in favor after the first ballot drop on Tuesday.

Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue was successful in its bid to raise the EMS levy to $.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The current rate has fallen to about $.26 per $1,000 as local property values have increased, according to the department.

For a property with an assessed value of $750,000 this would mean about a $15 monthly increase or about $180 per year.

The department said the additional funding would be used to maintain and improve emergency medical services by supporting training, equipment upgrades and proper staffing.

Snohomish County Fire District No. 15

A new maintenance and operations levy for residents near Tulalip appears likely to pass after receiving 74.9% of the initial ballot returns.

Fire District No. 15, also known as the Tulalip Bay Fire Department, asked voters to approve a levy rate of $0.62 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

For a median property valued at just under $520,000 this will mean about $325 annually in additional fees on property tax bills.

The department expected the levy to generate approximately $450,000 annually, which would replace expiring federal grant funding.

The levy will support the fire district’s maintenance and operations, allowing it to maintain the current level of fire and emergency medical service response, according to a ballot description of the proposition.

Snohomish County Fire District No. 19

A hike to the emergency medical services property tax levy for parts of north county appears heading toward success, but is too early to call. On first ballot returns, 54.9% of voters supported the measure, but the margin is seperated by just 60 votes as of Tuesday.

Fire District No. 19 asked voters to restore the levy rate to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation after it had fallen to about $0.32 per $1,000, despite demand increasing, according to the department.

The proposition exclusively funds emergency medical care and services in the district that serves 22-square-miles between the cities of Marysville, Arlington and Stanwood.

The fire district said the rate hike would mean a property with an assessed value of $500,000 would pay about $250 annually, an increase from the current contribution of about $160 per year.

Approval of the levy lid lift would allow the fire district to add staffing, maintain response times, keep highly trained first responders and replace aging equipment, the district said.

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com