“Voter turnout was low but Island Transit supporters’ spirits were sky high as the results of Tuesday’s election filtered out of the Island County Auditor’s Office.Island Transit’s sales tax increase passed, thereby assuring continued service from the bus system that was teetering on the brink of I-695 disaster. Voters favored a new .3 percent sales tax to keep the transit system operation near current levels, with some Saturday bus service revived. The count was 9,153 yes to 6,829 no, or a 57.3 percent majority. Only 50 percent was needed for approval.In Oak Harbor, school supporters were glum as an ambitious maintenance and operations levy proposal fell short of a majority, let alone the 60 percent needed to pass. The count was 3,259 yes to 3,285 no. The levy would have added $1.47 per thousand of assessed value to property taxes. Instead, Oak Harbor will remain one of the few school districts in the state that operates without local levy support.A few absentee votes remain to be counted, but there are not enough to affect the outcome of either election. Voter turnout was only 41 percent, which is considered low by Island County standards.”