Voters appear to have narrowly approved an operations levy for the Madras Aquatic Center on Tuesday, a change in fortune for the measure, a nearly identical version of which was defeated last November.

Anita Goodwin, vice-chairwoman of the aquatic center district, said she was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

“I am holding off on the celebrating, it sounds too good to be true, but if it is as good as it looks its a happy day for recreation in Jefferson County,” Goodwin said.

If the narrow margin holds, residents of the aquatic district will pay 40 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value tax over the next five years, raising an estimated $1.2 million.

Funds raised through the MAC levy would be used to keep the pool open 12 months a year and invest in a capital maintenance fund.

It would also develop dry-land recreational programs like youth and adult basketball, soccer and softball leagues.

Goodwin said with the outcome of the levy unknown, the aquatic center district had held off on preparing its budget for next year. Now, with just over a month to go until it must have a budget in place, the directors will have to act quickly.

“Things are gonna kick in to high gear now, as in tomorrow,” she said.

Supporters of a Culver School District construction bond were more downbeat Tuesday. Voters rejected a bond that would have raised $9.8 million to upgrade deteriorating schools. The funds would pay for the demolition of aging facilities and the construction of new classroom space, as well as the replacement of some heating, ventilation and cooling systems that are more than 40 years old.

Superintendent and Culver High School Principal Stefanie Garber said though the loss was difficult, it appeared voters were more supportive of the latest bond proposal than a November 2012 bond request for $14.5 million that was rejected nearly 2 to 1.

“The good news is you don’t need heat this time of year, and you don’t usually need it in the fall,” she said.

Garber said it was an uphill campaign from the beginning, as most Culver residents have no children in school, and tax increase needed to fund the upgrades were significant. She said voters should expect to see another attempt at a facilities bond on their ballots soon.

“There is disappointment in the room, but we’ll go back out in November, we’ll go back until the community is ready to support their kids,” she said.