LEWISTON, ID – A $22.54 million bond proposal to fund infrastructure improvements in Lewiston failed to reach the two-thirds majority required for passage in Tuesday’s election.

According to unofficial results, 53.96% of voters — or 2,945 people — supported the measure, while 46.04%, or 2,513 voters, opposed it. The bond needed 66.67% approval to pass.

The proposed general obligation bond would have funded upgrades to aging water, wastewater, stormwater, and road systems. Many of Lewiston’s underground pipelines date back more than a century, and city officials have said ongoing leaks and failures are increasing maintenance costs.

The city had planned to fund the project primarily through existing revenues from transportation, water, stormwater, and wastewater funds. Officials said no tax rate increase was anticipated, though if a full levy were needed, property owners could have paid an estimated $30.47 per $100,000 of assessed value annually for up to 30 years.

The bond carried an estimated 3.75% interest rate, with total repayment projected at $37.9 million including interest.  A similar measure also failed to pass in May.