Early Gig Harbor-area election results for council, school board, parks levy, other races
Early results Tuesday night showed voters rejecting the PenMet Parks levy and Billy Sehmel in the lead for a seat on the PenMet board.
With 4,977 “no” votes (58.95 percent) and 3,466 “yes” votes (41.05 percent), the Peninsula Metropolitan Park District’s levy renewal is failing.
The levy lid lift “would restore the rate from $.58 to $.75 per $1,000 of assessed value and maintain annual increases of up to 6% (but never to exceed $.75) for six more years,” according to the PenMet website.
A Gig Harbor-area homeowner with a home worth $750,000 would pay $563 per year (a $127 increase) or about $47 per month.
Some residents told the Gateway they wanted it to pass to improve parks and programs, and others said they were skeptical about why the district needs more money.
Steve Nixon, the PenMet board president, told the Gateway that without the levy the district will not be able to operate at the same capacity.
Nixon said he was disappointed with the early results.
“I think there was a lot of information out there that was not reflective of where the park district is at and what we’ve been working on for the last few years since the community supported our last request,” he told the Gateway. “I think at this point it’s pretty clear what the results indicate.”
Nixon said the district will provide the best services it can for the community with what it has to work with.
Craig McLaughlin with the “no” campaign told the Gateway the early results are a victory for “full disclosure” and “financial responsibility.”
The levy would help fund at least eight projects identified by the district to upgrade local parks. More access to beaches and trails at Wollochet Bay Estuary Park is on that list.
PenMet commissioner election results
Billy Sehmel and Steve Nielson are vying for the open seat on the PenMet Board of Commissioners. The seat was previously held by Amanda Babich, who decided not to run for reelection.
Early results show Sehmel in the lead with 4,466 votes (55.21 percent). Nielson is behind with 3,583 votes (44.29 percent)
“At this time, I’m feeling confident with where we’re sitting and I look forward to serving the community if the results stay the same,” Sehmel told the Gateway.
Sehmel is a longtime Gig Harbor-area resident. He was unanimously endorsed by the board.
The 40-year-old is the fifth generation of the Sehmel family and the last to live on the Sehmel family homestead before it was turned into a park, he previously told the Gateway.
His father was an original PenMet board member.
Sehmel said one of his priorities is to explore how to bring more fields and sports courts to the district. He also said he’d like to make improvements to senior programs.
Nielson said he’s still waiting for final results and holding out hope.
“I noticed that the numbers where Billy and I are at right now are about the same as our primary numbers,” he told the Gateway. “We’re looking for about 15,000 total ballots to come in.”
Right now about half that, just over 8,000 ballots, has been counted.
“I know that we had a lot of later ballots coming in yesterday and today so that’s what we’re waiting for,” he said.
Nielson is an engineer and a PenMet little league coach. He said being a little league coach helped him learn more about the park district after moving to the area in 2018.
He said he’s focused on park safety, conservation efforts, and bringing more sports courts to the area.
Gig Harbor City Council election results
Early results show Mary Barber in the lead to keep her seat on the Gig Harbor City Council.
Barber was appointed to the council in 2022 after Tracie Markley vacated her seat to become mayor.
Barber has 1,650 votes (54.89 percent). Her opponent, Ed Nadler, has 1,351 votes (44.94 percent).
Barber told the Gateway Tuesday night that she was feeling optimistic and she felt she ran a good race.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to serve the community, assuming that the numbers continue to turn the way they’re trending,” she said.
Barber, who is also a small business owner, is committed to serving Gig Harbor by making “sound decisions to protect its character, heritage, and quality of life,” she previously told the Gateway.
If reelected, she said, some of her priorities are focusing on revitalizing downtown to support business longevity, addressing housing needs, and fighting for a new community center.
Nadler, who does not have any prior elected experience, challenged Barber for the seat.
He previously told the Gateway he’d bring a “fresh business perspective to the council.”
He said he’s passionate about preserving the city’s charm and that he values community safety and staffing law enforcement and fire departments.
Nadler told the Gateway Wednesday that he congratulated Barber on the results.
He said he was pleased that several of the ideas he put forward are currently being looked at by the city, including regarding code enforcement, speeding and a youth council.
Position No. 5
Ben Coronado ran unopposed to replace Julie Martin, who was appointed to the council in January. Martin filled the position vacated by Robyn Denson, who was elected to the Pierce County Council.
Position No. 6
Council member Le Rodenberg ran unopposed for reelection to the council. He’s held the position since 2019.
Peninsula School District School Board election results
Early results show residents want to keep Chuck West on the school board. West has held the position since 2019.
He’s in the lead to keep his seat with 10,564 votes (83 percent) so far. Jack Mende, who challenged West, is trailing with 1,954 votes (15.53 percent).
West is a small business owner and longtime Key Peninsula resident who raised his kids in the school district. He’s also a former firefighter.
Mende did not fill out any information about his former elected experience, professional experience, or education in the voters’ pamphlet. He wrote in the voters’ pamphlet that, if elected, he plans to focus on advocating for students with disabilities or unique learning and teaching styles.
Board of Directors position No. 3
Lori Glover ran unopposed for reelection. She’s held the position since 2018.
Board of Directors position No. 4
Natalie Wimberly also ran unopposed for reelection. She’s been on the board since 2019 and is the current board president.
Key Peninsula Fire commissioner election results
Key Peninsula Fire Commissioner Shawn Jensen would have been running unopposed for reelection to the position he’s held since 2016.
Instead, retired Key Peninsula Assistant Fire Chief Hal Wolverton registered with the Pierce County Auditor’s Office as a write-in candidate Oct. 5.
Early results show Jensen with 1,620 votes (84.91 percent). There were 288 write-in votes (15.09 percent).
Jensen did not respond to the Gateway’s request for comment prior to the election.
Wolverton started as a volunteer firefighter with the department in 1990, then made it his career in 1992.
Through over three decades of service he said he saw a lot of changes in the district. He said some of those changes do not reflect the values of the Key Peninsula.
His priorities are to restore the volunteer program, address underfunded fire stations and their maintenance, and to make a plan to replace the fleet, he previously told the Gateway.
For other Pierce County election results, including for the other Key Peninsula fire commissioner race and the Key Peninsula Parks commissioner race, visit The News Tribune’s live results page.
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 8:31 PM.
