Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, August 16, 2009 Sno-Isle Libraries scales back, looks to tax increase The library system cuts spending on materials and asks for a tax hike for 2010. By Eric Stevick Herald Writer Library leaders hope taxpayers will go for a mix of budget cuts and a tax hike to maintain services. The Sno-Isle Regional Libraries Board of Trustees has come up with more than $1.2 million in budget cuts for 2010 and will ask voters to consider a tax rate increase that would raise about the same amount next year. Cuts approved for 2010 include a 3 percent salary cut for the top six highest-paid Sno-Isle employees and three other senior staff members. There also will be a salary freeze for all other employees as well as cuts in spending on materials and equipment. In addition, improvements to the libraries' computer system have been delayed until 2011 and more than a dozen full- and part-time positions will remain vacant. Sno-Isle Libraries serves more than 650,000 residents in Snohomish and Island counties. Its annual budget, including reserves, is around $38 million. A series of public meetings and more than 1,000 Web surveys convinced library leaders to trim spending to reduce the amount they will seek on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. "We are really looking at maintaining the level of service," said Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, director of the 21-library system. "What we heard from people was a request to our board to compromise: reduce our budget, which would allow us to ask for a smaller tax increase." The budget reductions approved for next year will occur regardless of whether the levy passes. Two budgets are being prepared: one if the levy passes, the other if it fails. If the levy is rejected, Sno-Isle would make deeper cuts, including reducing library hours. Each of Sno-Isle's libraries would be open four fewer hours per week, according to recent budget estimates. Under the levy proposal, the tax rate would increase by 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. That's $18 a year more on a $200,000 home; $27 on a $300,000 home and $36 on a $400,000 home. The new rate would be 40 cents per $1,000, which would be 10 cents below what is allowed by state law. "The board really took a look at how we could get the increase to be as low as possible, maintain the level of service and have stable funding for five years," Woolf-Ivory said. Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Yes to tax increase for libraries. Having been a resident of Snohomish County for 30 years and a constant user of the Sno-Isle Libraries I will gladly vote to increase funding for this resource. This summer alone during the heat wave, the library was there with open doors and air conditioning to provide an escape from the heat. The branch in Monroe has provided me with plenty of educational resources for my children, as well as entertainment in the form of music, movies, as well as a wonderful supply of books that never seems to stop growing. The scheduled events for kids is a great way to nurture their growing minds and involve them in ways even beyond reading. It sure seems the upper level staff is doing their part in that they have made a plan to work with a shortfall in funding, including cutting pay, and cutting back on staffing. The same sure can't be said about other government programs in this county. Ryan Klemmer | Aug 21, 2009 3:46 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal (No heading) Of course I'll vote YES to maintain the excellent quality of Sno-Isle Libraries. I can't afford to vote no! If I had to buy all the books my family and I read, I'd have to get another job! Marti Anamosa | Aug 18, 2009 2:52 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Libraries Another tax increase coming up. Count on it. But remember, it's "for the kids". We don't want you putting money away for your kids college education, we want you to give those funds to us because we deserve it and we know better on how to use your money. Trust us. We are your ever benevolent and caring and omnipotent government, here to help you and, oh, by the way, take every frigging dime you have, eventually, over the long term - similiar to strategic investing. But of course, you're investing with us and we flat-out state that there is ZERO rate of return - unless you are an undocumented immigrant, an unwed female, a never employed no-load, a paroled criminal, a gang-banger, a psycho loosed on our streets, a has been, a wanna be, or a never was. Hey, Uncle Sam is here to make sure that the working taxpayers of the USA pickup the tab for your failure to make good choices in your life. Gosh, what a great country! art johnson | Aug 17, 2009 11:22 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Library levy election Libraries and other government agencies are caught between a rock and a hard place. Costs for fuel,utilities, library materials such as books, magazines, informational databases, newspapers and DVDs, and health care coverage for staff are rising, however the library district is limited by law to increasing its budget by only 1% each year. We are falling farther and farther behind. In 2010, the gap is 2.5 million dollars. The library district asked residents of the two county area whether we should cut back on library hours and services or ask the voters to increase revenue in 2010. The answer was for the library to do both: maintain library hours and essential services, cut costs and ask the voters for a small increase. Sno-Isle libraries is tightening its belt with wage freezes, salary reductions, cutting back on buying new materials, and deferring equipment replacement. These reductions, plus a 9 cent per thousand increase in revenue will allow us to maintain stable library funding through 2014. The library district made the right decision to put this issue on the ballot for voters to decide. Let's keep our libraries open. Valerie Stevens | Aug 16, 2009 12:29 pm | 1 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Vote for Literacy & Education You may not use the library but those who serve you do. Don't you want good competent service? I'm talking about the people that take your order at the drive-thru, babysit your children, install your cable, and provide healthcare to you. Good libraries foster good communities. When people are educated, society is simply better. Sno-Isle Libraries has 21 branches and a bookmobile that serve 2 counties - over 650,000 people. They've cut their budget significantly and ask for a tiny tax increase. I don't want to pay more taxes, but I will always be willing to pay more for education and libraries. The alternative is the degradation of society. The fact is that with the current economy, library use has increased dramatically. Many people use library resources to seek employment. Others save money by borrowing reading materials or videos rather than purchasing them. The library is a community gathering spot for knowledge. So, do people use the library to surf porn. Yes, some do. It is a fact. While I do not advocate such behavior, it is a first amendment right. The library has taken steps to provide privacy for the screens of those who view objectionable material. Access to information of any type is the goal. What if you wanted to research breast cancer but could not due to filtering systems? I don't like more taxes, but I will support Sno-Isle Libraries come November 3rd. My school-age children rely upon the library system as do many in my community. It is essential for the good of our society. Please join me. Thank you. Andy Rice | Aug 17, 2009 12:43 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Vote Yes I’m voting Yes. Sure, they need to tighten their proverbial belts, but I’m a strong supporter of the Sno-Isle Library System. It’s one of the best around. I live really close to the Everett Public Library, but their poor customer service has kept me far away. Sno-Isle, on the other hand, has always gone above and beyond. Even if it has nothing to do with the library itself…I was headed to my sister’s house to celebrate my brother-in-laws birthday and needed to drop some books off at the library. I took my brother-in-law, John’s, birthday card and stuck it in the front flap so it wouldn’t fall off the seat and away I went. I stopped at the library, dashed in, and dropped off my books. When I got to John’s, after much searching, I sheepishly told him, “I did get you a birthday card, but I’m pretty sure I put it in the book drop at the library.” After the laughter died down, I called and asked if there was a plain card marked “John” in one of the books…sure enough, I had left it in the book and slipped it in the return slot. Normally, this would be no problem, but it was almost time for the library to close and I was going on my honeymoon the next day. But sure enough, two full weeks later, I stopped in, hoping that they would still have the card, and by golly, they had held it for me. I was impressed that they held a card with only a first name on it for so long. But now, back to the matter at hand. I hear about obscure books and Sno-Isle finds them for me. If they don’t have it, they will borrow from another library so that I can read it; or I’ve been provided online reading material. When I requested something particularly unusual, someone from the library called me to be sure I would get the book I want. When I’m in the library, I can use the very convenient self-check out or go ask one of the friendly librarians if I need help. I was looking for something using their visual catalog and noticed a bug, so I reported it. Not only did I get a fast response, I was given some detailed information on what was happening and was thanked for my observance and patience while the bug was fixed. I see kids in there all the time, participating in some of the Library sponsored activities, doing homework and reading. I see adults online looking through job-finding search engines or updating their resumes. I see a library that is useful and needed and don’t begrudge them some extra money. It’s one of the few taxes that I can actually see go to very good use. Ender Wiggin | Aug 17, 2009 12:37 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Against new taxes? Here's what you should do The median home prices in Snohomish County is just over $300K back in May. If this passes, the median household pays about $30/year in taxes. For a typical family of four, this is about $7.50 per person per year. Not much, but if you're against any new taxes whatsoever, it can still be upsetting, huh? Now, look at the national debt. According to the Treasury department's site, we've already spent $340 billion on interests alone on the national debt over the past 10 months. Given about 300 million Americans, this is about $1362 per person per year, for every single man, woman, and child, just to pay interests on the national debt. If $7.50 per year to maintain useful service scares you, and you believe in living within your means, then paying $1,362 per year for absolutely nothing in return must be frightening to you. And I don't blame you if it is, because it should be. And you should do something about it. All the recent bank and auto bailout, cash-for-clunkers, unrequested defense spending forced on the Pentagon, and other pork approved by Congress (with the most expensive bailouts approved by Rick Larsen) are more catastrophic to your tax bill and financial stability (and that of your childrens') than this library tax ever will. Let your Congress member know your thoughts and your vote. How - | Aug 16, 2009 9:33 pm | 3 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal No New Taxes! This isn't about "being against libraries." It's about operating within our means. Times are tough, tax revenues are down, so their answer is to increase the tax rate? How can that make any sense? It's called kicking folks when they're down. Don't get me wrong, I love the library. However, I still think they can close a couple more days a week without any significant impact to the users. Do you absolutely have to be there on Wednesday afternoon, for example? When the economy improves (and it will), revenues will increase and the hours can be increased again. Let's be logical about this, folks. Tony Laredo | Aug 16, 2009 8:40 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Look at what we are getting for the money Being against libraries is like being against apple pie, Mom, oh, and never mind. How could one be against a library tax? The premise of free public libraries is that literacy and knowledge are the foundations of both prosperity and moral development. If one looks at the share of books that are merely formulaic romance novels or self help books, and then compares that investment in shelf space and money to books increasing real life knowledge and job skills, an unwelcome conclusion may be drawn. That conclusion is that the libraries serve a more upscale group which uses literacy as escape and entertainment, and that they do not serve the young and the dispossessed in attempting to find a place in the world. Along with that, the quality of the books seems to be spotty, leading one to believe that our librarians define quantity as a great library, not quality. This likely is the result of the inevitable civil service staff creep we all pay for if not paying attention. Snohomish county libraries may wish to do a few things before making any tax increase requests. Seattle regularly purges thousands of poorer quality texts, perhaps preferring relevance and content over overcrowded shelves. Cutting service days cannot be done on Saturday, or evenings, so that the public which needs the services the most may have access. Merging with Everett to form a county library would likely be more cost effective. Removing coffee stands, sleeping homeless and front door loiterers would be a welcoming sign for would be patrons who do not wish to run the gauntlet of undesirables. Until our libraries return to the spirit of the Carnegie libraries, I would vote down any further taxes, and find solace in the net and in Kindle. jon coulter | Aug 16, 2009 8:28 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal A literate community is essential to be competitive in the global economy Libraries, together with schools, colleges, universities, provide the resources and education necessary to keep local residents literate and competitive. Even though they serve only a portion of our population, they provide benefits to all by giving back much greater cultural, technical, and economic dividends in return. Local taxes for libraries are a small portion of your total taxes, and generate much greater benefits for the community than Federal taxes. Where is the outcry when Rick Larsen voted for taxpayer-funded bailout packages that benefited mostly big banks and Wall Street? Why do people happily take advantage of Cash for Clunkers without protest when it generates more pollution and waste while pushing the cost onto our children (in the form of national debt)? Why does Congress insist on buying planes that the military doesn't even want, when schools and libraries have to cut salaries and hold bake sales to make ends meet? Some people complain about individuals viewing offensive materials, but ignore the obscene Federal and trade deficits (much of which benefits China), the provocative "homeland security" laws that infringe on our Constitutional rights, and the indecent relationship between the Feds and big banks. When America loses its technical and scientific superiority in the near future, it will be precisely because of our uncontrolled spending on pork and bailouts while penny-pinching on schools and libraries. It's not too late to stop this now. How - | Aug 16, 2009 7:40 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Vote YES Now More Than Ever! Sno-Isle Libraries give a great return on investment and are doing more than almost any other public agency to help get our economy out of this downturn. Everyday I see people using the library computers and librarian support to create resumes, find jobs, and get back to work (and back to paying taxes.) Families with limited resources are using the library for computer access that is essential in today's world. They ask library staff for help finding accurate health resources and for information that will help stretch the budget. And families and communities are connecting with each other at library programs or at home with books and videos from the library. Library use is way up, as shown by the statistics. Library leaders are making tough cuts to provide the service our community deserves and demands. Now is the time to invest a tiny amount (the cost of one book!) that will be leveraged into a great return for everyone in our community. Maggie Buckholz | Aug 16, 2009 12:09 pm | 2 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Keep our libraries open. VOTE YES. During difficult economic times access to information about how to find a job, how to start a new career, how to fix a car, how to practice on a certification test, how to do your own plumbing, or how to build a deck is quite a bargain. Penni Vogel | Aug 16, 2009 6:26 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal No I continue to vote no on anything that has to do with supporting a venue that allows perverts to have access to porn where children are present. Again I will vote NO! hope floats | Aug 16, 2009 3:12 am | 2 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal No The library guys have a lot of nerve proposing an increase in taxes at a time like this. No. Just plain no. If you need money, collect the illegal aliens that are so prolific in Snohomish County, deport them, and use the funds saved on health care, criminal justice services & such stupidity as ESL classes to fund the library. No increase in taxes. Veritas Splendor | Aug 16, 2009 4:34 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Internet access The library tax will pass if the people running the library system will do one simple thing: Put a filter on the Internet so that people cannot access pornography. Businesses have filters so that objectionable sites will not be accessed on company servers. Why can't the library? Sure, I know the library is for the public, but when did the public have the right to view pornography on the taxpayer dime? Once a filter is in place, and everyone knows it, then the tax will pass because people will have confidence that their tax dollars are not being spent on viewing pornography in the library. That's all you have to do. It's just common sense, folks. Morgan Johnson | Aug 16, 2009 4:20 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Better answer to Library income User fees is a better answer to the library budget shortage than is an increased property tax. I will vote against increased property tax because: a) the Library system is not increasing its value to the community in proportion to proposed increased taxes. b) I seldom use the library even though my property taxes support it. c) My income is fixed. Other government and quasi government functions charge user fees. Amonght these are the state park system and county planning departments. The library systme should recognize the realities of the 21st century and also have user fees. kenneth andrews | Aug 16, 2009 1:25 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Idiocy 650,000 people a year don't use the library system, so let's be a little more honest about the numbers. When my personal budget is tight, I can't just go demand a raise from my employer. The library system needs to tighten their belt like the rest of America. Oh, and no one is viewing porn at the library. Only an ignorant idiot thinks that happens, and believes it. R N | Aug 16, 2009 8:40 am | 1 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Sno-Isle Libraries As a taxpayer in Edmonds since 1975 I have found the Library one of the best values for my tax dollar. My children grew up to be successful adults due to the ability to read, inquire, get information and be critical thinkers. The role of the Library, with freedom of information and access to books, makes a huge difference. The Library is the great leveler, bringing information, knowledge, and the pleasures of reading to all of us. It brings families together, and stimulates smart conversations. Libraries can make a difference in so many ways. The mentioned cuts demonstrate responsibility to voters, and the needed revenues are important. I can't wait to vote "yes" for Libraries. Lesly Kaplan | Aug 16, 2009 1:13 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Yes to Preserve Library Services It seems to me that a combination of cost cutting and a small revenue increase is a great way to preserve the valuable services that our libraries provide. Arch Fonken | Aug 16, 2009 12:18 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Responsible I endorse the Sno-Isle Library Board's decision to take a responsible approach to its financial appeal and to reduce expenses. If the library levy issue is approved in November, the library system can continue providing valuable, convenient and cost-efficient service throughout Snohomish and Island counties. Before I vote to raise my taxes, I want to be sure the money will be well spent. I'm convinced that Sno-Isle Libraries needs this increase and I will be voting Yes. Oren Campbell | Aug 16, 2009 12:15 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Insanity Indeed I took the online survey. I thought it was quite innovative. The survey asked what changes to make to the budget to balance it. It was interesting to see the bucketloads of money in their budget. I had no trouble whatsoever reducing their budget to the target without a tax increase. Sure, they do provide excellent service, but increasing taxes to cover rough times when folks themselves are cutting back is pure insanity, or at least arrogance. Close the library branches 2-3 days per week and I bet most people will find that acceptable. People in the non-government sectors are dealing with pay cuts, required unpaid leave and layoffs. The library can cut back its hours as well. While I use the library, I will vote no on the levy. They need to find another way. Tony Laredo | Aug 16, 2009 9:29 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

1. Early morning gunfire wounds 2 in Everett 2. Father guilty of manslaughter in girl's death 3. ZZ Top fans get Everett buzzing 4. Crash devastating for toddler 5. Snohomish County budget passes, with a caveat 6. Fall 2009 Wesco All-League Teams 7. Laundry fire sparks concerns over smoke detectors 8. Two people injured in Highway 9 collision 9. Northrop: Boeing's 767 ‘no longer commercially viable' 10. Lynnwood police seek hit-and-run driver 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Ruling in the pool • Archbishop Murphy takes title • A season of performing arts • Budget numbers have official fuming • Wildcats move on to 2A semifinals • Holiday Bazaars & Fairs Calendar • Edmonds’ Westgate Chapel serves up hospitality for holiday • Mavericks fall • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million