The discharging of personal fireworks will remain illegal in SeaTac after voters on Feb. 6 overwhelmingly rejected a new fireworks ordinance.

In unofficial cumulative results on Wednesday, King County Elections officials reported 861 votes (38.63 percent) in favor of the ordinance and 1,368 against (61.37 percent.)

The proposed ordinance would have been less restrictive than city regulations that were replaced by the total ban on personal fireworks.

The ordinance was placed on the ballot through a petition that contained valid signatures of 1,626 registered SeaTac voters, according to county elections officials.

City Manager Craig Ward said fireworks industry officials sponsored the petition drive.

City council members unanimously declined to accept the ordinance on Oct. 10, so it went automatically on the Feb. 6 election ballot.

The single-issue election cost the city about $30,000. For the low-key fireworks election, city council members declined to authorize King County Elections to publish a voters guide with pro and con statements.

Burned by a Public Disclosure Commission complaint against city officials during September's election campaign, SeaTac staffers were careful to remain officially neutral in the fireworks election.

During the earlier campaign on a proposed property tax hike for fire services, former Mayor Frank Hansen filed the PDC complaint claiming that city officials illegally advocated the tax hike in flyers and on the city's government access cable channel.

If the fireworks ordinance had passed, only voters could have amended or repealed it later.

Fireworks for licensed shows such as those put on by Angle Lake property owners are allowed under SeaTac's ban. Religious displays are also permitted.

Burien and Tukwila ban all fireworks while North Highline limits their use to July 4. Fireworks are allowed in Normandy Park from June 28 to July 5.

The 2006 Independence Day weekend was the first holiday period that SeaTac's ban was in effect.

Despite the prohibition, youths playing with fireworks in a field were blamed for a massive blaze on July 2 that destroyed the old Boulevard Park school building

The rejected law would have allowed the discharge of fireworks in the city July 3-5 and Dec. 31-Jan. 1 with time restrictions.

"Safe and sane" fireworks could also have been discharged June 28 through July 5 and Dec. 27 through Dec. 31.

Updated election results are available at http://www.metrokc.gov/elections/200702/results.asp