Monroe hospital bond trails again; Mukilteo and Sultan school measures face hurdles

Voters in Snohomish County signaled mixed support for major infrastructure projects on Tuesday, with results for a new Monroe hospital and two school district bonds falling short of expectations based on initial counts.

The $382 million bond measure for a new EvergreenHealth Monroe hospital is currently at 55.5 percent support. This follows a similar measure that received 55.6 percent of the vote during the August primary. Officials stated the project would require at least 60 percent approval to pass. The bond aims to build a replacement hospital and expand the emergency department on the existing campus. Hospital officials estimated the measure would add about 44 cents to the property tax rate per $1,000 of assessed home value, or roughly $489 annually for a home valued at $745,000.

Monroe School District voters appear to have approved a four-year, $49 million property tax levy by a margin of just over 250 votes. The measure has 51 percent support so far. The levy would fund security improvements, maintenance, and the relocation of the Sky Valley Education Center to the historic Wagner Center on Main Street. District officials chose a levy over a bond after voters rejected a $152 million bond measure in February. The average levy rate is estimated at 88 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

Mukilteo School District is seeing 53.6 percent support for a $400 million bond request, which is below the 60 percent threshold needed to pass. The bond would fund replacements at Explorer Middle School, Mukilteo Elementary, Serene Lake Elementary, and Olivia Park Elementary, along with a new gymnasium addition at Kamiak High School. In February, the district passed a $265 million levy but missed the threshold on a school bond with 57.2 percent support. The proposed tax increase is about 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value, or $132 annually for the median homeowner.

Sultan School District is at 49.4 percent support for a $160 million bond request, far below the 60 percent required. The proposal would modernize existing schools and build a new high school, the first major construction project in the district since 1999. If approved, the tax increase would be $1.97 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

South County Fire received 60.8 percent support for a $420 million bond request, a close call given the 60 percent threshold. The bond would build four new fire stations and replace or overhaul at least 10 existing stations. Officials said the new stations would be located near Lake Stickney and Alderwood Mall Parkway to decrease response times. The estimated tax increase is $136 per year for the average home valued at $700,000.

Bothell residents and Fire District 10 voters appear set to annex their agencies into the Shoreline Fire Department Regional Fire Authority. Initial results show 84 percent support from city residents and 82.2 percent from fire district voters. If the results hold, both agencies will officially join the regional authority on March 1, 2027.