Jail, statewide school tax falling in early returns

Preliminary vote counts released by Larimer County election officials showed the countywide measure to combine and extend two sales taxes for the operation of the county jail headed for defeat, along with a state tax increase for schools.

Shortly after the polls closed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, unofficial results showed 56 percent of voters opposed to ballot measure 1A. Out of 62,481 votes counted, 35,053 rejected the jail funding question, while 27,428 favored it.

Proposition 103, which would increase the state sales and income tax rates for five years to fund education, was also losing in early returns. In Larimer County, 59 percent of voters rejected the question, although statewide numbers showed only 56 percent opposed it

Fort Collins voters were more closely divided on the question of whether to ban medical marijuana dispensaries within the city limits. Of 29,424 votes counted, 54 percent were in favor of the ban, 46 percent opposed.

Four seats on the Poudre School District Board of Education were up for grabs in this election; only Tom Balchak in District B ran unopposed.

Nancy Tellez, the incumbent president of the board, was leading District F challenger Stephen Yurash 61 percent to 38 percent in the preliminary tally. In District A, challenger Cathy Kipp held a narrower margin over incumbent Barbara Schwerin — 55 percent to 44 percent — while the race in District G was even closer. Susan Gutowsky led Teresa Affleck 52 percent to 48 percent of the early votes.

Wellington voters were approving the transfer of sales tax revenues from the streets fund to the parks fund by a margin of 58 percent to 41 percent.

Larimer County Clerk Scott Doyle reported more than 40 percent of registered voters returned ballots in this all-mail election. Final results will be released later this evening.