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POSTED: Monday, Oct. 19, 2009

Whatcom County libraries asking for property tax increase

County voters to decide request on Nov. 3 ballot

Voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to increase their property taxes so the Whatcom County Library System can buy more books, better serve Sudden Valley readers, and keep its branches open for the same number of hours.

"It's up to the voters; they're going to tell us what kind of library services they want us to provide," said Joan Airoldi, director for the library system that is comprised of nine branches in unincorporated parts of the county and its cities, as well as the Bookmobile.

If voters in the Rural Library District - basically everyone in the county who lives outside of Bellingham - approve Proposition 1, they will increase their property taxes by about 10 cents per $1,000 assessed value, to a new rate of 44 cents.

That would mean an additional $25.50 a year for the owner of a home assessed at $250,000, and $30.60 for a home assessed at $300,000.

The request is known as a "levy lid lift," which must go before the public because Initiative 747 limits property tax collection increases to 1 percent per year unless voters approve more.

The measure needs a simple majority to pass.

Library officials have said they need the additional money to keep up with expenses and inflation, which are rising at a faster rate than 1 percent a year. They also need more money to continue serving the public as more people turn to the library system, especially during tough economic times, for such free services as Internet access and online databases.

They noted that 1.4 million items, such as books and DVDs, were checked out of the system's libraries last year, a 46 percent increase since 2001.

Programs such as teen game night, story times, and Summer Reading Club also have been in demand, according to library system representatives.

"It's going to be fairly obvious that the public needs us, or at least that's what they've said with their feet," said Lizz Roberts, community relations coordinator for Whatcom County Library System.

At the current rate, the library system will receive a little more than $5.4 million in property tax revenue this year. Property taxes provide about 92.5 percent of the system's annual operating revenue.

Currently, residents of the district pay 33.8 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $84.50 for the owner of a home assessed at $250,000.

If approved, the measure would bring in an additional $1.6 million next year, based on this year's assessed value of property in the district.

In addition to property taxes, the library system receives funding from new construction, which is added to the levy total. But new construction has fallen off.

In 2005, the library system received $263,543 from new construction. It's expected to receive $137,990, or less, this year.

To contend with declining dollars, the library system reduced the amount of money it spent on collections - books, DVDs, magazines - down to 10 percent of its operating budget. The average statewide is 14.2 percent, Airoldi said.

Training hours were cut in half, the Bookmobile stop in Acme was eliminated last year, and staffing was cut by 3.6 full-time-equivalent positions.

Its staffing is now at 90.5 full-time equivalents.

The system has cut back on furnishing and maintenance of the buildings that house the branches, which are owned by their communities but the system shares those costs.

The library system also has drawn down its available reserves by a little over $1.1 million since 2005, leaving about $460,000.

Airoldi said a levy lid lift would allow the system to plan out its services and budgeting for the next five years, based on what library users have said they want; to increase what it spends on collections; to better maintain buildings; to focus more on youth programs; to improve its Web site; and to return staff training to 2008 levels.

Without the additional money, hours the branches are open would be reduced by 47 hours a week, and staffing levels would be cut. Arioldi said she couldn't reveal what those staffing reductions would look like, because of labor negotiations.

If voters reject the proposal, cuts will begin in January.

"We're not just shooting from the hip," Airoldi said. "We've given a lot of thought to it, as well as involving the public so that they can share their ideas of what they want in their community libraries."

TO LEARN MORE

Information on the Whatcom County Library System's budget, and explanations of why voters are being asked to increase their property taxes, are available online by going to wcls.org and selecting "Library Levy FAQs" on the right.

Or call 384-3150.