Early election results for East Pierce County, including Puyallup council, Sumner library
Early results for this year’s Aug. 1 primary election are out. Here’s what East Pierce County voters have to say about the Puyallup City Council candidates and the proposed Sumner library.
Puyallup City Council District No. 2 Position No. 1
889 votes so far (49 percent) are for Mayor Dean Johnson to remain on the Puyallup City Council.
535 votes so far (about 29 percent) are for Joe Colombo. Mark Palmer has 384 votes (21 percent).
The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.
Colombo, 51, said he wants to create an ethics commission to help oversee City Council decisions. This is his second time running for City Council. He sits on the city’s Design Review and Historic Preservation Board, The News Tribune reported in July.
Colombo told The News Tribune he’s pleased with the initial results, and that he’s grateful for his campaign volunteers.
Palmer, 64, said he plans to make informed decisions by seeking out different opinions. He is a senior civil engineer for Sound Transit. He previously worked as the Puyallup City Engineer from 2011-17, The News Tribune reported.
Palmer told The News Tribune the results don’t appear “very good,” when it comes to his chances of advancing to the general election, but he noted that ballots are still being counted.
Johnson, 59, said he will never vote to defund law enforcement. He is the current Puyallup mayor. He is a small business owner and works part-time at Nordstrom, The News Tribune reported.
Johnson told The News Tribune he feels encouraged with the early election results. He said they show that residents want him to continue representing them.
Sumner Library Capital Facility Area Proposition No. 1
890 voters so far (67 percent) said “yes” to a new library in Sumner. 432 (33 percent) said “no.”
The $15 million ballot measure needs 60 percent to pass.
Pierce County Library spokesperson Mary Getchell told The News Tribune they’re “incredibly grateful.”
“It’ll be a library for the community,” Getchell said.
If approved, an average homeowner with a $514,000 home would pay about $10 per month for 21 years. A Library Capital Facility Area — an independent taxing district separate from the library system, city and county — would be established.
The cost to build the new library is about $19 million, The News Tribune reported in March. Donations and other types of funding will help with the cost. The library will sit on a 1.67-acre property at 15126 Main St. E.
The current building that houses the library at 1116 Fryar Ave. is small and can be difficult to access, Getchell told The News Tribune in March. She said the library “must move out of that building.”
The Pierce County Elections office will release results on Aug. 2, 3, 4, 8, 10 and 15.
Other election results can be found at thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/election/article277830208.html.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Editor’s note: This story has updated to include comments from the three Puyallup City Council candidates and the Pierce County Library spokesperson.
This story was originally published August 1, 2023 at 8:29 PM.
