SPOKANE, WASH. — Taxpayers in Spokane County outside of Spokane and Liberty Lake will vote this August on whether to increase property taxes to support their library system.
The Spokane County Library District is asking voters to approve a levy that would raise the property tax rate from 33 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to 45 cents per $1,000. For a homeowner with a property valued at $350,000, that translates to a $42 annual increase.
The library district says inflation over the past couple of years has strained its budget and made the additional funding necessary to maintain current services. The money would go toward purchasing new books and online materials, funding programming and covering overhead costs.
In a worst-case scenario, the district could need to close one of its 10 library locations if the levy does not pass.
“Unless we find an alternative source of funding or something, that’s something we’d really have to do and something we’d really have to look into. And we don’t want to have to make that decision, of course,” said Doug Stumbough, operations director for the Spokane County Library District.
Even if the measure fails, taxpayers would still pay a smaller amount for library services than they currently do.
Residents in the county hold differing views on the proposed tax increase. Some support the measure, recognizing the value libraries bring to their communities. Others express concern about the cumulative effect of rising taxes on household budgets.
April Boardway, a library visitor, voiced frustration with the increasing tax burden.
“Everything adds up, even if it’s just pennies to the dollar. It adds up one way or another, and sooner or later, you don’t have money for one thing or another and you have kids to feed,” Boardway said.
Andrew Meeks, another library visitor who regularly brings his daughters to the library, expressed willingness to support the levy.
“I think it brings a lot of positivity, good things to the community, and so I would be OK with that moving forward,” Meeks said.
If the levy passes, the higher property taxes would take effect next year. The Spokane County Library District is holding a series of community meetings to answer questions about the levy. Residents can find a complete list of meeting dates, times and locations on the library district’s website.
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