Kenai Peninsula voters spoke loudly on three ballot propositions Tuesday.
A $5.4 million bond proposition for a new school in Kachemak Selo failed by a wide margin. Nearly 60 percent of voters opposed the measure on Tuesday. The state allocated about $10 million for the project, but that money is set to expire in 2019.
Several elected officials have warned that if the borough does not provide an adequate school in the village near the head of Kachemak Bay, the borough could wind up in court over the issue.
Central and southern peninsula residents both approved expansions of the borough’s two hospital service areas as well. Nearly 2,200 south peninsula voters cast their ballots in favor of expanding South Peninsula Hospital’s service area boundary to the south side of Kachemak Bay.
About 2,400 central peninsula voters approved expanding the Central Peninsula Hospital boundary to the south near Ninilchik. Both propositions were put on the ballot as a compromise after borough assembly member Dale Bagley revived the issue. The assembly had discussed expanding only the CPH service area. Some Ninilchik and Clam Gulch residents have said that the communities mostly utilize CPH and should not have to pay the higher property taxes in the SPH service area boundary.
The borough is due to certify the results on Oct. 9. The canvass board will count absentee, questioned and mail-in ballots throughout the week. Any ballot sent through the mail that’s postmarked on or before Oct. 2 and received prior the certification of the results will be counted.
