Kordonowy, Tooloee advance; fire levy passes

Incumbent Darlene Kordonowy earned better than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday's mayoral primary, with City Councilman Nezam Tooloee also advancing to the November general ballot for the city's top elected office.

Kordonowy earned 2,971 votes out of 5,912 counted in official final returns Tuesday evening, the Kitsap County Elections Office reported, for 50.25 percent of the vote.

Tooloee, in his first term representing the north ward on the council, earned 1,520 votes for 25.71 percent to emerge from a field of three mayoral challengers. Tooloee ran an unusual campaign, eschewing political advertising in favor of personal appearances at debates and other forums.

Will Peddy, the city's code enforcement officer, polled 777 votes for 13.1 percent. It was disclosed on the eve of the election that Peddy had misrepresented his credentials to various media outlets, claiming a college degree that he did not in fact hold, among other discrepencies.

Michaels C. "Michael" Berry, a Winslow accountant, earned 596 votes for 10.08 percent. Shortly after declaring for office, Berry went on vacation and thus did not campaign leading up to the primary.

In other results, a $2.27 million property tax "lid lift" sought by the Bainbridge Island Fire Department earned 59 percent, cruising to easy passage. The money will be used to purchase new fire apparatus and related equipment, to replace a fleet of aging tenders, pumpers and other vehicles.

The successful six-year levy marked a reversal of fortunes for the department, which saw a 10 percent general property tax lid lift for the same purpose go up in smoke 16 months ago.

Voters were not so kind to the Kitsap County "law and justice" levy, which earned just 34 percent support. The 0.15 percent sales tax hike would have paid for new police and court positions around the county, including Bainbridge Island.

Incumbent Judge Sally Olsen of Bainbridge Island retained her seat on the Kitsap County Superior Court bench, earning 69 percent support to overwhelm challenger Jonathan R. Morrison of Port Orchard. Olsen, in her first term on the bench, had amassed endorsements from across the legal spectrum, including the county bar association, numerous fellow judges, and political office-holders from both parties. Morrison was generally deemed "unqualified" in a poll of bar association members.

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