“A proposal to consolidate the city of Yelms fire district and two neighboring fire districts into a regional fire authority is headed for a recount.

The Thurston County Canvassing Board scheduled the recount during a meeting Tuesday morning. The Thurston County Auditors Office received the request for a recount Friday, two days after the board certified the results of the Aug. 18 election…

Supporters need at least seven votes to change from the no column to the yes column for the outcome to change.

Fire Chief Rita Hutcheson, who would lead the consolidated organization, acknowledged that the proposals passage is unlikely but said supporters want to exhaust all options.

With that small a number, the feeling was we just needed to be sure, said Hutcheson, one of six members of the RFA Recount Committee.

The others are Yelm Mayor Ron Harding, Yelm City Administrator Shelly Badger, fire commissioner Jonathan Sprouffske, fire district office manager Kris Kelly and firefighter Chad Halterman.

The committee paid a deposit of $835 for the recount, although Wyman said the cost will be less. The county will refund the money if the recount changes the elections outcome.

Hutcheson defended using taxpayer money for the recount. She said that as a result, public agencies wont have to spend thousands of dollars to return the proposal to the ballot next year if the recount is successful…

There was no organized opposition to the proposal,” quoting The Olympian.

Ed. Note: While true, “There was no organized opposition to the proposal,” there was alot of e-mail traffic in the rural areas about the city’s using this as a vehicle for annexation in the future and those voters rejected the measure. Fire officials nor Mayor Harding failed to address this issue sufficiently for rural voters.