It's official: Lake Pend Oreille's $14.1M levy approved

PONDERAY - Lake Pend Oreille School District trustees are jubilant over approval Tuesday of a $14.1 million plant facilities levy.

“Yippee,” said board member Mindy Cameron.

Results of the Lake Pend Oreille School District levy are official.

Trustees approved the results of the election at a special meeting held Thursday at the district office. The process took less than five minutes.

“I drove all the way into town for that,” said board chairman Vickie Pfeifer.

Cameron said the outcome was worth the trip.

The official numbers did not change from the unofficial results reported Wednesday. The levy passed with 55.9 percent voter approval.

Trustee Steve Youngdahl commended Supt. Dick Cvitanich's efforts in leading the levy campaign, saying that Cvitanich spent many hours outside of regular office hours to attend community meetings and talk about the district's needs.

“Well, you hired me to do it,” Cvitanich said, prefacing his comment by saying a citizens committee and the efforts of community members was a big factor in the levy's passage.

Cameron said his ability to organize the campaign was instrumental.

“I think it made a huge difference,” she said.

Cameron said the results are historic and point to the fact that patrons are beginning to recognize the improvements being made in the district.

“For this community, for this district, it is really, really huge,” she said.

The ballots will be locked in their respective election boxes for the next eight months in the event of a challenge.

Anyone who wishes to challenge the levy's outcome has 40 days to do so from the date that trustees canvassed the ballots.

If the election is challenged, trustees are required by Idaho Code to hand count the ballot.