Ballots in the mail for local fire and hospital elections

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 3, 2019

EVERETT — Voting in five Snohomish County taxing districts begins this week.

Ballots for the April 23 special election will be mailed Thursday to roughly a quarter of the county’s 465,000 registered voters.

Items include a Darrington School District capital projects levy, a Sultan fire district bond, a Monroe hospital district levy lift and a Marysville fire consolidation measure.

County elections manager Garth Fell said he expects a voter turnout of 25 to 30 percent.

The Darrington School District levy would fund such projects as improving existing school buildings, installing new security systems and replacing the Darrington Elementary School roof.

The Fire District 5 bond, in Sultan, would pay for a new fire station.

In Hospital District 1, the levy lift would allow the EvergreenHealth Monroe to replace aging emergency room equipment, update the electronic medical records system and reopen its maternity ward.

A resolution to combine the Marysville Fire District and the Snohomish County Fire District 12 would form a regional fire authority, an independent government body that would provide fire protection and emergency medical services.

Ballots can be mailed in or left at drop boxes. No postage is needed.

Drop box locations include the Snohomish County Courthouse and the McCollum Park and Ride. Visit the county website for other locations.

The last day to register to vote in person is April 15.

For more information, contact the county elections office at 425-388-3444.

Julia-Grace Sanders: 425-339-3439; jgsanders@heraldnet.com.