Libraries warning of I-747 service cuts

Associated Press

TACOMA — Local libraries are considering budget cuts and service cutbacks as they deal with money shortages caused by the lagging economy and the property tax limitation approved by voters last year.

City libraries will have less revenue, mainly because the recession has cut into sales tax collections.

County library systems are more dependent upon property taxes but they also face funding cuts and service reductions.

The Pierce County Library System’s 17 branches will have $500,000 less for books, programs and employees in 2002 and $1.2 million less in 2003, said Neel Parikh, library director.

"We’re not laying anybody off," she said, "but vacancies may not be filled. Our book budget didn’t keep up. People may have to wait longer for books and materials."

The 10-branch Tacoma Public Library has cut all that it can in the past two years while maintaining existing services, officials said. More budget reductions required in 2003-04 could bring cuts in library hours and branch closings, said Susan Odencrantz, the library director.

Initiative 747 limits the growth of property tax levies to 1 percent annually unless voters approve a higher increase.

"The recession and I-747 are a double whammy," Odencrantz said. "We’re not sure what we’ll do next year."

The Seattle Public Library may close its central library and 22 branches for two weeks this year to save money, with about 600 employees losing two weeks of pay.

The new Puyallup City Library, which opens in August, may have to cut its weekly hours from 54 to 38 and operate with fewer employees than planned, said Gay Uhl, library director.

Lacey’s Timberland Library already has reduced its hours.

The King County Library System has cut programs, postponed an expansion and laid off a handful of employees because of I-747. The 42-branch system will ask voters for more money on Feb. 5 to maintain existing services.

"Initiative 747 is a death spiral," said Bill Ptacek, director of the King County Library System.

Ptacek and Parikh said I-747 will lead to more reductions in library services each year, because the 1 percent increase won’t cover inflation.

Although the King County Library System is going to the voters, Pierce County isn’t. Parikh said the election costs are too high. In the last November general election, local governments that ran elections countywide paid about $152,500 each, according to the Pierce County Auditor’s Office.

The King County Library System is asking for a one-time property tax increase to raise about $6 million extra. The system has a $66 million annual budget, 1,150 employees, and 700,000 cardholders.

The 17-branch Pierce County Library System has 355 employees, an annual budget of $15 million and 254,000 cardholders.

I-747 prompted Pierce County to scrap a plan to open three branches on Mondays and lengthen Friday and Saturday hours by one hour each day at six branches.