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Fire District 4 EMS levy fails
NEWPORT – There weren’t really any close local races in this year’s general election, which saw a turnout in Pend Oreille County of nearly 78%, down from the 2020 turnout of 83%.
Troy Moody was elected to the non-partisan Pend Oreille Public Utility District No. 1 commissioner race, defeated one-term commissioner Joe Onley 4,348 to 2,968 or 59% to 40% for the sixyear term. That was as of the most recent count Thursday, Nov. 7. There are about 30 ballots left to count, according to the Pend Oreille County Auditor’s election results website. The election is to be certified Dec. 7.
Moody, who was at the county courthouse when election results were announced, wasn’t surprised. “I couldn’t imagine not winning,” he said.
He said he wasn’t particularly nervous. “I never had any anxiety one way or the other,” Moody said. “I had no anxiety until Marianne (Nichols) announced the results,” he said.
Moody said he has a lot to learn and planned on jumping right in. He planned to attend the annual Legislative Luncheon/Meeting in Colville Tuesday with other elected leaders, including the sitting PUD leaders.
Incumbent Republicans Brian Smiley and John Gentle won reelection to the Pend Oreille County commission, holding off two other Republican challengers.
Smiley outpolled Kevin Young 4,823 to 2,498 or 64% to 33%.
Smiley said the election came out the way he thought it would.
“But it still feels good to have it done,” he said. Smiley noted a difference between the election in 2020, when he won his first term as county commissioner and the 2024 race.
“I felt like the candidates in 2020 had a much better understanding and preparation for the work and role of commissioners and there was a clear distinction between the candidates in 2020 on some fundamental issues, values and goals,” he said. “The commissioner race in 2024 seemed to me to be more about the personalities and character of the candidates.
“No doubt that is the result of all the candidates being Republicans and the recent turmoil and division in the local party,” he said.
Gentle beat Steve Haroldson Minnich, 4,7252,666 or 62% to 35%.
“I am excited to be a part of what the next four years holds for rural Americans, and for the working class,” Gentle said. “It feels like we are finally being heard. There is a lot of work to be done in this county to make sure our voice is heard in Olympia. With so many new legislators, including in our own legislative district, our own civic engagement is more needed than ever.”
Those new legislators include Andrew Engell and Hunter Abell, who won election as 7th Legislative District representatives to the state House of Representatives.
The 7th Legislative District is made up of Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry Okanagan and Douglas counties.
In Pend Oreille County, Engell, a Republican, beat Soo Ing-Moody, also a Republican. Engell pulled in 4,827 votes to 2,586 for Ing-Moody or 64% to 34%. In the 7th, he got 37,806 votes to 22,213 for Ing-Moody, or 62% to 36%.
Engell said he put a lot of time campaigning in the huge district.
“After putting nearly 20,000 miles on my car traversing this vast district, knocking on 4,000 doors, walking in parades, speaking and taking questions at 21 candidate forums, and attending community events in every corner of the district I’ve found that the 7th district is full of incredible hard working and patriotic people who care about their communities and our country,” Engell said. “I’m a strong conservative in alignment with the majority of the people of this district and I am also committed to learning from, having conversations, and building relationships with people from all walks of life and treating them with dignity and respect regardless of who they voted for.”
In Pend Oreille County, Abell, a Republican, beat Democrat Paul “Rocky” Dean with 5,899 votes to 2,119 for Dean, 73% to 26%. In the 7th District, Abell got 45,210 votes to 19,381 for Dean about 70% to 30%.
Another multi county race was for Superior Court Judge for Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties. Lisa Malpass Childress defeated N. Smith “Smitty” Hagopian with 4,463 votes in Pend Oreille County to Hagopian’s 2,507 votes, 63% to 35%.
“Although the election results are not yet certified, I am deeply grateful to the voters and supporters who backed me in the Tri County Superior Court race for Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille, position 1,” Malpass said. “I believe every vote matters for a fair result, and I remain optimistic that the final tally will affirm the preliminary outcome.”
She said she is committed to upholding fairness, integrity, and impartiality in the justice system. Malpass garnered 14,093 votes in the three counties, to 8,813 for Hagopian, 61% to 38%.
In local measures, Pend Oreille County Fire District 4’s Emergency Medical Services levy didn’t pass. It had 538 yes votes to 477 no votes or 53% to 47%, but the levy needed 60% to pass. The district was seeking 50 cents or less per $1,000 assessed valuation. The measure narrowly failed with 58% of the Primary Election in August. It got more yes and more no votes in the general election.
Fire District 4 Chief Robert Webber said that by the end of the month the district will quit paying the stipend to have EMTs and drivers overnight at the fire station. The district pays EMTs $45 a night and drivers $20 a night.
Webber said he’s doing what he can to keep the district’s two ambulances in service, but it costs money. He says the district clearly wants ambulance service, so he’ll work to keep it going as a back-up to Fire District 2. But after the end of the month, volunteers will be like firefighting volunteers and respond from home when needed.
Pend Oreille Fire District 5’s permanent levy lift also failed, 86-77 votes or 52% to 47%. Fire District 5 was seeking to raise its regular property levy from 50 cents per $1,000 assessed value to 90 cents per $1,000 for the normal operations and maintenance of the district.
Sacheen Lake Water and Sewer passed its 75 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation maintenance and operations levy 139 to 71 or 66% to 31%.
