Lake Stevens shelves new library

By Sharon Salyer

Herald Writer

LAKE STEVENS — A proposal to build a new $5.9 million library has been at least temporarily shelved because of worries that in an uncertain economic climate voters wouldn’t approve a tax increase to pay for it.

And since the city of Lake Stevens had proposed a new city hall and police station in the same building, plans for that expansion also have been put on hold.

"At this point, we have several different options," said Mary Kelly, spokeswoman for the Sno-Isle Regional Library System. "The earliest we could talk about this again in a detailed way is after the first of the year.

"We really have all the options still available — possibly partnering with the city, possibly looking in other areas" and building just the library, she said.

Sno-Isle officials, working with members of the Lake Stevens Library Board, had proposed a new 15,000-square-foot library to replace the current 2,500-square-foot library at 1804 Main St. The library would have been built at the current city hall site, overlooking Lake Stevens.

Kathy Ganung, who heads the library board, could not be reached for comment Friday. But in a written statement, she said the board would continue to work with the city and library staff to identify the best way to provide library services.

"Over the next few months, we’ll continue to evaluate this, with an eye toward a library bond election possibly as early as next year," she said.

The city council held two public meetings in April to discuss the combined new library and city hall project. Enlarging the library building by 11,000 square feet, to include space for a new city hall and police station, would have cost $3.1 million. The city would have had to dedicate part of its general funds, by issuing bonds, to pay for that project.

"The money just isn’t there," Mayor Lynn Walty said. Council members "told me that very clearly. I agree with that.

"It’s way too much for us to commit that kind of money out of the general fund for the city hall complex," he said.

Walty said he also heard from residents who are worried about the economy.

"We’re living in real jittery economic climate right now," Walty said. "We just went through the dot-coms (blowout), and now the Boeing layoffs."

He said he repeatedly heard from citizens that they backed the proposed library expansion, "but not at this time."

Two recent votes in the Lake Stevens area show that voters will scrutinize any tax increase. In March, voters turned down an $8.4 million bond issue to pay for new parks. And on Tuesday, voters resoundingly defeated a request by Fire District 8, which includes Lake Stevens, to pay for improved paramedic services through a tax increase.

Building the new library would require two steps.

First, voters would be asked to approve a new taxing district matching the Lake Stevens School District boundaries.

Second, voters would have to approve a tax increase to pay for the library. The cost to the owner of a $200,000 home was estimated at $42 a year to build the new library. Sixty percent of voters would have to approve the tax increase.

You can call Herald Writer Sharon Salyer at 425-339-3486

or send e-mail to salyer@heraldnet.com.

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