Bainbridge city officials will regroup before deciding what steps to take next following the landslide loss of Proposition 1 at the ballot box Tuesday.

Prop. 1 would have authorized a 20-year, $15 million bond sale to pay for a new police station/municipal court on land north of city hall.

Bainbridge residents, however, handed the proposal a sure defeat on Election Day, with 74 percent of voters casting “no” ballots. Prop. 1 garnered just 25 percent in support.

“The city of Bainbridge Island remains committed to replacing our current outdated and dysfunctional police station and municipal court facility,” City Manager Doug Schulze said in a statement after the initial vote count.

“We know that in order for our staff to best serve the community, they must have a facility that meets their operational requirements and long-term needs,” he said.

Criticism to Prop. 1 was consistent in the weeks leading up to the election, and opposition picked up steam after city officials acknowledged that their site for the new police station would need an extensive clean-up effort because of pollutants left behind by a former dry cleaning business on the property.

Schulze said Tuesday that city officials will continue to examine what to do about the polluted site.

“We understand that there are currently many questions surrounding the proposed location of the property that must be answered. City staff is in the process of gathering the necessary information so that the city council can make an informed decision on how to best proceed,” Schulze said. “As we move forward with this process we pledge to provide opportunities for the public to be engaged and informed.”

After the extent of the pollution was made public, supporters of Prop. 1 tried to convince voters that a new police station could be built elsewhere if they voted yes, as the language of the proposition did not restrict the project solely to the land right next to city hall.

Still, opposition continued.

City spokeswoman Kellie Stickney said city officials were cognizant that the measure might not pass.

“We were aware of how complicated this issue got once we discovered the extent of the contamination,” she said. “I think we anticipated this result was possible.”