A ballot measure asking voters to approve a property tax hike, that would fund a replacement for North Bend’s 84-year-old community swimming pool, does not quite have the votes needed to pass — at least for the moment.

King County released initial election results on Aug. 2, showing that 56% of voters were in support of the measure. That is below the 60% threshold needed to pass. However, ballots will continue to be counted over the next few weeks before results are finalized on Aug. 17.

The Si View Parks District, which represents much of the upper Valley, placed the measure on the primary ballot with aims to raised the remaining $24.7 million needed to build a $30 million replacement pool.

Si View has long desired to build a replacement pool adjacent to its current facility at Si View Park. The current pool, built over 80 years ago when North Bend had under 700 residents, has aging infrastructure and cannot meet the demands of community residents.

Proponents of the project say replacing the pool is an economically sound investment, as the cost to maintain the old pool will continue to rise. Opponents object to higher tax rates, which were estimated at $9.75 a month on a $600,000 home.

This is the second time in two years that Si View has put a proposal on the ballot to fund a new pool. In 2020, a similar bond proposal received just over 56% of the vote, falling a little under 4% short.

The proposed new pool would be almost 25,000 square feet larger than the current facility and feature both a lap and competitive swimming pool, alongside other amenities. It would be projected to meet the community’s needs for the next 50 years.

This story will be updated.