A bond measure for upgrades to the West Hills College Firebaugh Center appears to be passing following Tuesday’s General Election vote. Also, a spirited election for the Firebaugh City Council saw a tight race between four candidates for two spots on the council.
While the election is not over until it is certified by the Fresno County Elections office, Measure K looks to be on its way to approval. According to the most recent voting tally, the measure received 950 “Yes” votes or 63.50 percent of the vote. There were 546 “No” votes (36.50 percent). It must be approved by 55 percent of the votes.
Measure K is a general obligation (GO) bond measure that will authorize $25.1 million to improve West Hills College in Firebaugh. In addition, voter approval of Measure K may allow the district to qualify for state matching funds, according to officials with the college.
The officials said the money generated from Measure K would be used to update classroom technology and improve energy efficiency and water conservation.
Campus security and an updated communications system will also be installed, as well as improvements to student access to updated computers and devices.
There were two seats up for the Firebaugh City Council and four candidates. In a very close race, newcomer Silvia Renteria came in first with 259 votes. Incumbent Felipe Perez placed second with 236 votes. Following closely in third place was Linda Espinoza with 228 votes. Ryan Gonzalez came in fourth with 225 votes.
The Firebaugh/Las Deltas Unified School District had two seats on the five-person board. In District 1, incumbent Eliseo Gamino is leading challenger Oscar Sablan by 15 votes, 78 to 63.
District 2 has two first-time candidates running. Deanne Crockett is in first place with 104 votes, followed by Gustavo Alvarez with 90 votes.
