Amid substantial self-congratulation, the Seattle City Council recently restored some of the money city libraries need to keep operating next year. So, citizens won't face quite as bad a time trying to find an open library as they would have under Mayor Greg Nickels' proposed operating budget.
Now, it turns out that the neighboring King County Library System has decided it must go to voters in February to deal with its budget future. The library's web site says the Feb. 9 election will be on a levy to restore the system's property tax levy rate to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, for collection in 2011.
Information on the site says the budget has been increasingly constrained by the state limit of 1 percent increases in annual property tax collections without voter approval. The voters approved a lift of the limit in 2002, but revenues have continued to decline under the state limit. The cost to the owner of a $400,000 home would be $32.
Community relations staffers weren't immediately available, but the library posted quite a few questions and answers. Among them:
"Will KCLS have to cut staff if Proposition 1 does not pass?Without a levy lid lift, KCLS would need to make budget cuts across the organization, including funding for books, computers, building maintenance and eventually staffing and open hours.
"What happens if Proposition 1 passes? If approved by voters, the current level of services, programs and resources for all 44 libraries and outreach services will be preserved. KCLS’ financial planning is geared to fund the level of service for as long as possible, depending on economic conditions. Previous levy lid lifts occurred in 1977, 1980 and 2002."
King County's system, which is independent of county government, is almost entirely financed by the levy. Since voters have proven supportive, that has actually helped King County residents avoid the increasing squeezes faced by library patrons in Seattle, where politicians balance new books, hours and everything else against competing pressures. Even so, the county system says it had to make about $1.9 million in cuts for materials, maintenance, administration and the like this year.
Problems in King County could hurt Seattle residents since the two systems have an agreement on sharing materials. A number of Seattle and county libraries lie near the city limits.
The King County Library System's information on the levy is here.
