UNION COUNTY — Union County voters overwhelmingly approved a mosquito control measure Tuesday. 

Measure 31-100, which will raise $1.3 million for the Union County Vector Control District over the next four years via a levy, passed 79.94 percent to 20.06 percent. The vote tally was 7,649 to 1,920.

“I’m pleased,’’ said Paul Anderes of the Union County Board of Commissioners, which administers the Union County Vector Control District.

Anderes said spraying by the Vector Control District goes a long way toward controlling the spread of the sometimes deadly West Nile Virus. The commissioner said he understands that some people feel uncomfortable with spraying for mosquitoes but that the voters have spoken. 

“Clearly mosquito control is a priority of voters,’’ Anderes said. 

Passage of Measure 31-100  renews an operating levy which has  been in place since 2008. A four-year operating levy of the same rate was first approved by voters in May of 2008 and was renewed by voters in 2012 and 2016, according to the Union County election ballot. 

The measure will cost Union County property owners 16 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to a statement on ballots for the May 19 primary election. This means the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $16 a year for the levy.

The  levy will raise about $304,000  in 2020-21, 314,000 in 2021-22,  $325,000in 2022-23 and $336,000 in 2023-24 according to the election ballot. These estimates are based on information from the Union County Assessor office. 

Chris Law, manager of the Union County Vector Control District, told The Observer earlier this month that passage of the levy would help  his department upgrade the services it provides. This would include aerial applications with drones. Law said that using unmanned aircraft can treat large areas much faster. This would give it the potential to treat more acres.

Law said a drone can treat a 180-acre area in 30 to 40 minutes, a task that would take several people working on the ground two to three hours to do.