By Kevin Hanson-The Courier-Herald
Voters added two new members to the Enumclaw School Board during Tuesday's general election voting, most notably choosing newcomer Gerd Weyer over incumbent Lorianne Taff.
On the local level, the election provided little drama outside the school district.
In Enumclaw, incumbent City Council members Jeff Beckwith and Jim Hogan ran unopposed and Richard Elfers was the only candidates seeking the Position 2 seat that is being vacated by Glen Jensen.
In Buckley, four open positions attracted just four candidates, so Randy Reed, James Montgomery, Ron Weigelt and Jan Twardoski were automatic winners.
In Black Diamond, Kristine Hanson, Bill Boston and Leih Mulvihill went unopposed for seats on the council.
In Wilkeson, Dennis Smith, Trisha Summers and Becky Gilbert were unopposed. And in Carbonado, Mayor Richie Morgan went unopposed, as did council candidates Jay Argo, Wally Snover and Buck McBride.
A pair of White River School Board incumbents, Jean Lacey and Susan McGuire, had no opposition.
The only real fireworks came in the Enumclaw School District races, where passions ran higher than usual.
In the race for District 4, Weyer pulled a bit more than 51 percent of the vote to dislodge Taff, an 11-year board veteran who has served two terms as president. Weyer had 1,869 votes according to the final, unofficial tally, while Taff had garnered 1,776.
In the District 3 race, Corey Cassell appeared to have defeated Robert Horn, earning 1,879 votes to Horn's 1,762. They were chasing a seat being vacated by Dale Holland.
Plateau voters helped decide a handful of state issues. Generating the most heat was Referendum 67, in which trial lawyers and insurance companies waged political war. In the end, voters supported cracking down on insurance companies despite warnings that passage would lead to frivolous lawsuits and, in the end, higher insurance premiums. The measure passed with nearly 57 percent support.
When it came to making it easier for school district to pass levies, voters turned thumbs down. House Joint Resolution 4204 would have eliminated the need for 60 percent support, requiring only a simple majority for passage. Voters rejected the idea with a 52 percent showing.
The issue getting most of the media attention leading up to election day was Proposition 1, the so-called “roads and transit” measure. Most of the Plateau is outside the taxing area and did not vote; those who reside within the district helped send the issue - which would have raised taxes and license tab fees - down to defeat. It was rejected by a 57 percent margin.
Vote totals are unofficial until they can be certified.
