In early 2006, Camas will ask voters to approve a replacement maintenance and operations levy. Svilarich and Quinn clash on the 60 percent supermajority vote required to approve school levy and construction bond requests.

"I respect the fact that Washington voters haven't seen fit to alter that," Quinn said. The rule puts school leaders on notice to deliver and gives patrons their greatest voice, he said. Camas has typically cleared the 60 percent mark, he added.

"I'm not worried that somehow that's going to significantly impair our future," he said.

In contrast, Svilarich points to the $2.2 million school technology levy that failed in Camas in May 2004, despite earning 58 percent support. A second effort triumphed four months later.

"I wondered if he remembered the last tech levy, we had to run it twice," Svilarich said. "I think that's bad policy. Majority rules, minority rights: that's how my democracy teaching said it."