Waldport city council will be getting two new members, two incumbents return; voters approve COCF&R levy

WALDPORT — Waldport city council meetings may look a bit like the teachers’ lounge at Crestview Heights or Waldport Middle/High School in January.

Two teachers — Melaia Kilduff and Michelle Severson — were elected to the council when nearly all vote tabulations ended Thursday, joining two incumbents, Susan Woodruff and Rick Booth. They will join the council in January.

Kilduff is a second-grade teacher at Crestview, where current council member Jayme Morris also teaches. Severson is a substitute teacher and a longtime basketball and volleyball coach. Kilduff, running opposed for an unexpired two-year term on the city council, received 835 votes.

First-term mayor Greg Holland held off a challenge by Mike Gatens 646 to 515 after three days of ballot counting Thursday.

Five people — including three incumbents – were seeking three, four-year positions on the council with the top vote-getters taking office in January. Woodruff, who has been on the council for 21 years, was the top vote-getter with 651, Booth was second with 649, and Severson third with 609 votes.

Incumbent Jerry Townsend was fourth with 451 votes Thursday and Michael Flaming was fifth with 377 votes.

Because of a statewide change in voting, Lincoln County clerk Dana Jenkins released only one ballot count Tuesday night, a second at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and the last of the week at 4:30 Thursday. The clerk’s office said 99 percent of all ballots had been counted — meaning there were no local races or issues hanging in the balance for the next vote release at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The countywide turnout was 66.3 percent.

In past elections, the clerk’s office released three rounds of votes election night. But a change in election law this year that allows people to return ballots as late as 8 p.m. – which means ballots will be coming by mail for days – has taken some of the urgency out of releasing election results.

Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue District: The district’s request for a five-year operating levy of 35 cents per $1,000 assessed property value passed 1,111 to 972 as of Thursday — the same vote margins as Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The levy replaces a 25 cent, 10-year operating levy that was dedicated for equipment purchases and replacement.