February 8 special election ballots mailed

February 8 special election ballots have been mailed out to Birch Bay voters preparing to vote in favor or against Proposition 2, which, if passed, would fund the construction of the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library.

Officially titled the “Whatcom County Rural Library District Proposition 2022-2,” the proposition would establish a Birch Bay Capital Facility Area (LCFA) that would pay for the library’s construction through property taxes. Property owners within the LCFA boundary are expected to pay 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS). The library is slated to cost $6.5 million.

The library vote is on ballots again after not receiving the supermajority threshold to pass in the November 2021 general election. The measure required 60 percent of voters to be in support and 40 percent of voters in the November 2020 election to have voted in last year’s November election. Although the library received a majority of votes in support, it still needed 26 more votes in support to pass the supermajority, WCLS has previously said.

“Our library board felt it was worth the effort to go out to voters again and make sure everyone who supports this library has the opportunity to weigh in,” WCLS executive director Christine Perkins said.

The state awarded a $2 million appropriation to the library in 2019 that the library was able to extend through the state’s 2021-23 biennium budget. But Perkins warns it’s unclear how long the appropriation will remain in their hands. “If the project isn’t well underway by May 2023, there’s no guarantee the state will carry that money forward,” she said.

Only voters residing in the proposed Birch Bay LCFA will receive a ballot. The LCFA boundaries are south of Lincoln Road, along most of Semiahmoo Drive, Birch Bay Village, along Birch Bay Drive, north of Aldergrove Road, west of Kickerville Road, with a section north of Birch Bay-Lynden Road and south of Loomis Trail that stretches to I-5.

The Whatcom County auditor’s office advises voters should have received their ballots by January 26. If a voter doesn’t have their ballot that was mailed January 19, they may contact the auditor’s office or visit votewa.gov for a replacement ballot.

Ballots need to be dropped off in ballot boxes or at the voting center in the auditor’s office by 8 p.m. February 8, according to the auditor’s office website.

Ballot drop boxes and the voting center opened January 19. People can register to vote and update voter registration online or by mail until Monday, January 31. After that, people have until 8 p.m. Election Day to complete registration at the auditor’s office.

The auditor’s office will certify election results Friday, February 18.

The auditor’s office is located at 311 Grand Avenue, suite 103 and will be open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until February 8. The office will be open until 8 p.m. Election Day.

“It’s fun seeing community members come out in support of the project,” Perkins said. “There’s a lot of positive energy and we really know how much people really appreciate library services.”

To find out if you live in the LCFA boundary, visit wcls.org/birch-bay. To contact the auditor’s website, call 360/778-5101 or email elections@co.whatcom.wa.us.