NAMPA — Voters in Ada and Canyon counties have narrowly rejected a $39 million plant facilities levy to build a Health Science Building on the College of Western Idaho’s main campus in Nampa.
With 214 of 214 precincts reporting for Tuesday’s election, there were 127,324 votes cast in favor of the levy and 104,436 against. The levy needed a 55% majority to pass and came up short by 144 votes.
Here is a breakdown of the vote:
Ada County – 99,220 votes in favor, 56.7% 75,904 votes against, 43.3%
Canyon County – 28,104 votes in favor, 49.6% 28,532 votes against, 50.4%
The funds would have been combined with a $10 million appropriation to build a new state-of-the-art facility.
Officials say the funds would have allowed 2,500 more students to attend health and science classes at CWI, and would have addressed a skills gap in the valley’s healthcare workforce.
