Return your ballots by April 28

A pair of tax measures are on ballots that may still in the hands of Enumclaw-area voters. The general election is set for April 28 and King County distributed ballots April 20. Ballots are to be returned by first-class U.S. mail and, to be valid, must be postmarked by the 28th.

A pair of tax measures are on ballots that may still in the hands of Enumclaw-area voters.

The general election is set for April 28 and King County distributed ballots April 20.

Ballots are to be returned by first-class U.S. mail and, to be valid, must be postmarked by the 28th.

For those not wishing to use the mail, there are three options:

• ballots can be taken to a “drop-off van” that will be parked at the Enumclaw library between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. April 25 and 27; it also will be at the library from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, April 28.

• ballots can be placed in a 24-hour drop box, but there are none in Enumclaw; drop boxes in the southern part of the county will be placed in Kent, Renton and Federal Way.

• finally, ballots can be hand-delivered to one of three “accessible voting centers.” One is at county election headquarters in Renton, another is at Bellevue City Hall and a third is at Seattle’s Union Station.

Enumclaw-area voters are being asked to decide, or help decide, two measures.

Enumclaw School District

The district is proposing a $68 million bond issue, with money earmarked for substantial upgrading and expansion at Enumclaw High, as well as the replacement of Black Diamond Elementary.

To pass, the measure requires a 60 percent “yes” vote. A minimum turnout of 3,561 voters is needed to validate the election.

Should the measure pass, the district anticipates collecting taxes in the amount of $1.60 for every $1,000 of assessed property value, beginning in 2016 and continuing for 21 years.

The rate is the same now paid by district property owners, due to a bond measure previously passed for construction of Thunder Mountain Middle School. With that in mind, bond boosters point out the new proposal will not increase tax collections from current levels.

Without the April 28 request, tax collections throughout the district would decrease when the present bonds are paid off.

King County

The countywide measure on the April 28 ballot seeks money to replace the region’s emergency public safety radio network, which is used primarily for dispatching police officers, firefighters, emergency medical staff and other first-responders.

Bond passage would authorize additional tax collections for a nine-year period, beginning in 2016. The ballot does not give a dollar figure to be collected, but notes the final tab would be 7 cents, or less, per $1,000 or assessed property value.

According to the King County Voters Pamphlet, the cost would be a bit more than $2 per month for a typical property owner.