Spokane EMS levy renewal projected to pass after first round of ballots

April 26, 2022 8:58 PM

Posted: April 26, 2022 8:58 PM

Updated: April 26, 2022 9:35 PM

Spokane Fire DepartmentCopyright: KXLY 4 News Now

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane County emergency services levy is expected to pass.

According to Spokane County Elections, 18,289 voted yes and 15,372 voted no on the renewal of Spokane Fire’s EMS levy.

The levy works as a property tax, costing 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer says the levy pays for about 80 full-time jobs that are not in the regular budget. Schaeffer thanked the city for its support on social media.

A total of 33,686 ballots were cast and there are still 1,000 left to count. The next ballot count is scheduled for April 28.

There are 143,775 registered voters in Spokane County, and the voter turnout for the special election was 23.43 percent.

You can view the current election results here.

RELATED: Special election ballots heading to homes for Spokane Fire EMS levy