The Land Bank renewal petition for has been certified by county auditor Milene Henley for inclusion on the November general election ballot.

Pursuant to RCW 82.46.070, a group of local citizens calling themselves “Renew Our Land Bank” circulated a petition to place the renewal of the Land Bank real estate excise tax on the ballot. Of the 2,670 signatures submitted, 1,160 were checked by the County Elections Office. Of those, 1,005 were valid signatures. The Elections Office stopped checking at that point, as only 938 signatures — 10 percent of the voters who voted in the last general election — were required.

The validation means that county voters will have an opportunity in November to vote “yes” or “no” on a proposal to renew for another 12 years a one percent real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of real estate in San Juan County. The tax supports the acquisition and maintenance of conservation areas managed by the County’s Land Bank.