Two local referendums, two mayoral races, 18 contested city council races and dozens of school board contests await Yakima County voters as they fill out ballots for next week’s general election.

Ballots were mailed out two weeks ago and must be returned either by mail or at numerous drop boxes across the county by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.

If past November municipal and school district elections are any guide, less than one-third of Yakima County’s registered voters will return their ballot.

In the Nov. 7, 2023, election there were 33,149 valid ballots returned from 128,382 registered voters, a return rate of 25.82%.

The voter turnout figure for “off-year” municipal and school elections has been declining in recent years, with a 32% ballot return rate in 2021, a 34.1% turnout in 2019 and a 28.1% ballot return rate in 2017.

As of Thursday, the return rate in this election was 12%.

Detailed information about voting, candidates and districts is available at the county’s elections website, yakimacounty.us/170/elections.

Yakima tax levy request

City of Yakima residents will vote on a property tax increase that would provide $6 million in revenue for the city’s general fund.

Proponents of the levy, labeled Proposition 1 on Yakima residents’ ballots, argue the tax increase would support public safety, parks and other community programs – city services that would be cut severely without the infusion of additional revenue.

Opponents of the levy argue the tax hikes would further burden Yakima families, seniors and small businesses, and targeted budget cuts and streamlined city operations are a better solution to the problem.

The $6 million levy amount would add 50 cents in taxes per $1,000 of assessed property value for Yakima property owners, generating $6,043,000 per year, according to data supplied by Finance Director Craig Warner.

It would increase the tax levy rate from $1.84 per $1,000 of assessed value to $2.46. The latter rate would be the baseline property tax rate going forward, Warner said.

Due to a 2001 statewide referendum, all future city property tax increases would be limited to 1% unless voters are asked again to raise the “levy lid” imposed by state law.

For the owner of an average Yakima home valued at $356,395, the additional tax would be $14.90 per month and $178.80 per year. The owner of a $600,000 home would pay $25.08 more per month and $300.96 per year.

A council-appointed citizens committee looking into the city’s budget woes determined that city voters have not approved a tax levy increase since 1984.

The most recent attempt was in February 2020, when Yakima voters turned down a property tax increase that would have generated $3 million. The tally was 8,665 no votes, or 63%, to 5,108 yes votes (37%).

Cannabis ban

Voters will have the chance to weigh in on the future of cannabis in unincorporated Yakima County in November.

The county has had a formal ban on the growing, processing and sale of cannabis since 2014.

Proponents of the ban have stressed concerns around youth access and substance use, while opponents say lifting the ban would help generate additional revenue for the county and provide better tools for regulation.

Proposition 1 is a non-binding advisory vote, meaning a decision will still ultimately fall to county commissioners about whether to maintain the county’s cannabis ban. A yes vote on the proposition supports keeping the ban. A no vote supports allowing cannabis businesses to operate.

Earlier this year, county commissioners voted 2-1 to place the question on the November ballot, with commissioners Amanda McKinney and Kyle Curtis voting to put it on the ballot and Commissioner LaDon Linde voting no.

McKinney and Linde have both said they’re personally against the sale of cannabis in the county, citing community substance use concerns that some advocates have echoed.

In 2012, Washington state legalized the production, processing and sale of cannabis under the voter-approved Initiative 502. In Yakima County, 57.8% of voters voted against legalization, according to the Washington Secretary of State’s Office.

In 2017, the county held a non-binding advisory vote where 58.9% of participants voted in favor of keeping the ban in place.

Municipal elections

Among the 20 contested municipal election races on the Nov. 4 ballot, several stand out.

Two incumbent mayors, Rachel Ruelas in Mabton and Scott Carmack in Zillah, are being challenged by Martha Gonzalez and Jacob Castillo, respectively.

The makeup and political bent of the Yakima City Council — which became much more fiscally and politically conservative after the 2023 election — could change again with three contested seats.

Incumbents Janice Deccio (District 4) and Matt Brown (District 6) are being challenged by Juliet Potrykus and Amy Forrest, respectively. In District 2, Felisa Gonzalez and Manny Ruiz are vying to fill the seat held by Danny Herrera, who chose not to seek re-election.

Sunnyside has contested races for four of its seven council seats amid the recent controversy surrounding former City Manager Mike Gonzalez’s dismissal. 

These contests include Theresa Hancock vs. Leticia Zesati (District 1), Tom Dolan vs. Adolph Muller (District 2), Vicky Frausto vs. Luis Ochoa (District 3) and Ramon Chavez vs. Vicki Ripley (District 4).

Mayor Dean Broersma, who represents District 2, is not running for re-election. The mayor in Sunnyside is appointed by the council.

School board races

Many Yakima County school boards will see new representatives as there are 16 contested elections.

The Sunnyside School District has five of these, with a lawsuit settlement changing school board elections there from a community-wide vote to seats being elected by geographic district.

All five seats on the Sunnyside school board are on this year’s ballot: Monica Guillen and Anna Saenz (District 1), Raquel Lopez and Linda Roberts (District 2), Laura Galvan and Evaristo Salas III (District 3), Steve Berg and Sandra Zesati (District 4) and Jilliann Patterson and Catti Villanueva (District 5).

In Yakima, both the Yakima School District and West Valley School District have two contested races for school board seats.

Incumbent Ryan Beckett is challenged by Jonathan Babcock in District 2, while Esperanza Lemos and Pam Shelton seek the District 1 seat, where Graciela Villanueva did not seek re-election.

West Valley’s District 2 seat will be filled by either Jessica Garcia or Natalie Shirzad, as Michael Thorner did not seek re-election. In District, 3, incumbent Mark Strong is being challenged by Haley Larson.