For the second time in a single election, one vote counts.
An overseas ballot received Wednesday could change the outcome of the April 10 election, when a law allowing the city of Fayetteville to tack on another charge to new construction passed with a vote of 2, 015 to 2, 014.
The ballot will remain sealed until the Washington County Election Commission meets to certify the election results. The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday.
"We're just keeping that ballot locked up safe and sound until Friday afternoon," said John Logan Burrow, commission chairman.
Burrow said nothing will be done until Friday out of an interest of protecting the secrecy of the voter.
Attorneys for the city and state have said the law will fail in the event of a tie. The constitutional amendment that rules this particular type of vote requires a majority, or 50 percent plus 1, to pass.
Burrow said that while the ballot was mailed by the election date, it still may not be counted. There are techni- cal requirements of an absentee ballot that must be determined to be in compliance with the law for the vote to be counted, he said.
Two provisional ballots were officially disallowed Wednesday after the two people failed to show up to a commission meeting called to review the ballots.
Burrow said that because there was no argument to the contrary, commissioners upheld the earlier decision that the ballots were not cast properly.
The additional charge on new construction is levied as an impact fee, which is intended to recover the cost of adding capacity to various infrastructure improvements provided by the city. This particular vote was on impact fees for roads. It drew strong opposition from developers and business interests, which raised more than $ 40, 000 to fight the law.
Proponents of the group raised around $ 1, 000 to push for passage of the measure, which is estimated to bring in about $ 3. 4 million a year. The city charges development for the impact on water, sewer, parks, and fire and police protection.
Arguments for the fees were that it is a fair way to recover the costs of new development because it would be charged to new development. Opponents of the measure warned the fees would discourage commercial growth, that the loss of money to the city bank account would eventually mean raising property taxes, ergo hurt schools.
The decision was made by less than 12 percent of registered voters.
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