Commentary

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   HAVE YOUR SAY Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor. You’ll need to include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another. Send it to: E-mail: letters@heraldnet.com Mail: Letters section The Herald P.O. Box 930 Everett, WA 98206 Fax: 425-339-3458 Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson (cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472).   Published: Saturday, October 24, 2009 GUEST COMMENTARY / SNO-ISLE LIBRARIES LEVY Services needed now more than ever By Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory My daughter and 2-year-old grandson Ari used to go to Seattle regularly to visit the zoo. The current economy has changed that. Now, their destination is the library — for toddler storytimes, children’s books or free DVDs. They are among many individuals and families who find themselves turning to their local library during difficult economic times. We see new faces every day in our 21 libraries — people who need help finding a job, parents who use the library’s free resources to check out books or movies for their families, and students who access online library resources to help them succeed in school. Communities need libraries more than ever. And your tax dollars make public libraries possible. This fall’s election ballot includes a library levy increase measure. Sno-Isle Libraries Proposition 1 requests a 9-cent increase to the library levy rate, raising it from 31 cents to 40 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value. The increased cost to a property owner would be about $27 a year on a home valued at $300,000. This modest levy increase, combined with budget cuts, will provide enough revenue to maintain current service levels and hours and stabilize library funding for five years. Asking for a levy increase in the current economy was a difficult decision for the Sno-Isle Libraries Board of Trustees. In a series of community meetings, stakeholder interviews, and through two Web surveys last spring, we asked our communities: “Should we increase revenue or make more cuts?” We consistently heard that people value libraries, and want us to maintain current library service. Our communities asked us to consider a smaller levy increase combined with tightening our belt by further reducing our expenses. We listened. The Board of Trustees committed to making additional budgets and is seeking a small levy increase. Most importantly, the board decided to give communities the opportunity to make the decision about library funding. The board has already directed staff to make additional budget reductions in 2010, regardless of the election outcome. These include: n Reducing the salary of nine senior administrators by 3 percent. n Freezing salaries for remaining staff. n Delaying replacement of the library computer system until 2011. n Reducing materials and equipment budgets. n Eliminating a number of vacant positions. If the levy fails, we will need to make deeper reductions to balance the 2010 budget, including fewer operating hours in all of our libraries. Just like you, the board and I care about our communities. Our goal is that your public library has the resources you and your family need, whether that is help finding a job, introducing your preschooler to books and reading, or finding a good book to read. Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory is director of Sno-Isle Libraries. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Yes for Libraries I choose to say YES to libraries. Libraries help us, our families and our neighbors by providing information and resources; staff to help navigate the online and print world; and choices for lifelong learning. It's not always about me, sometimes it's about the greater community good--and that's why public libraries are so important. Judy Sasges | Oct 24, 2009 11:24 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Live Within Your Means !!! I make around $55,000 per year. The government takes a good portion of that. A lot of the rest goes for bills; mortgage, car, various insurances, medical and so on. I have one income and I have to live within it. I can't go to someone and say "give me more cuz times are tough". No, I have to cut back. I've done away with cable TV. I've cut back to only a cell phone. I've reduced my contribution to my 401K and... and... Now, here comes the library. They want just a little more of my money. Just a little more... you know, "for the children..." But then so does everyone else. The Fire District, PUD, city utilities, Gov. Gregoire. No. No more. The library and various components of the government need to live with their means. If you have to close early - do it. If you have to charge for a library card - do it. If you have to do away with internet access - do it. I'm stretched as far as I can go. What do you people in government not understand about the word NO? Check out a couple of your own books: the Dictionary and Budgeting for Dummies. NO LIBRARY TAX INCREASE. Veritas Splendor | Oct 24, 2009 8:51 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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