News - Local News

POSTED: Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2009

Whatcom Co. library trustees put tax levy on Nov. 3 ballot

SUMAS - Voters in the Rural Library District will decide Nov. 3 whether to tax themselves more to maintain services in the Whatcom County Library System.

The system's board of trustees decided 4-0 on Tuesday, June 16, to put the request for a "levy lid lift" on the ballot for the general election.

The measure needs a simple majority to pass. If it fails, additional cuts in staff, services and open hours will be made because of a budget shortfall.

"We recognize this is an incredibly difficult time to go to the voters," said Joan Airoldi, director for Whatcom County Library System. "We've put it off as long as possible."

Airoldi said that other library systems in the state already have asked their voters for more property tax dollars.

Currently, those residing in the Rural Library District - basically everyone who lives outside of Bellingham - pay 33.8 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $84.50 for the owner of a home assessed at $250,000.

At the existing rate, the Whatcom County Library System will receive a little more than $5.4 million in property tax revenue this year through the Rural Library District. The levy provides 95 percent of the system's annual funding.

The board is asking voters in the taxing district to pay an extra 10 cents per $1,000 assessed - or 44 cents - which means an additional $25 a year for the owner of a home assessed at $250,000.

If approved by voters in the Rural Library District in November, the proposed levy lid lift would bring in an additional $1.6 million next year, based on this year's assessed value of property in the district.

It will cost the library system an estimated $30,000 to bring the measure before voters in the November general election, which is less costly than a special election, according to library officials.

Only voters in the Rural Library District will decide the measure's fate come November.

Such a request must go before the public because Initiative 747, which state voters passed in 2001, limits property tax collection increases to 1 percent per year unless voters approve more.

Officials have said they need the additional money to keep up with expenses and to continue serving the public as more people turn to the Whatcom County Library System, especially during tough economic times, for free services such as Internet and online databases.

The library system is comprised of nine branches in unincorporated parts of the county and its cities as well as the Bookmobile.

Cuts already have been made in staffing, training, technology upgrades and the amount of money spent on collections, such as books and databases. The system also cut back on hours at the Sumas Public Library and eliminated a Bookmobile stop in Acme.

If voters don't approve a lift, new cuts will be in place beginning Jan. 1.

"We're down to the bone. Anything more is going to be radical," board member Janet E. Boyhan said during the discussion at Sumas Library Tuesday prior to the board's vote.

The library system last asked for a levy lid lift in May 1980. Voters approved that measure.

"It's so important. It's so serious," board member Deb Lambert said after trustees decided to put the measure on the ballot.

This story was corrected Wednesday, June 17, 2009. The number of years it would take to collect that amount was unclear.