STANWOOD – Twenty-seven votes – that’s how close Stanwood came in the Sept. 14 election to getting a new library.
That margin was less than half of 1 percent short of the 60 percent supermajority required to pass a new property tax levy that would have paid for the $9 million, 20,000-square-foot library.
“It was heartbreaking,” said Mary Kelly, community relations manager for the Sno-Isle Regional Library System.
The vote was close enough that supporters felt compelled to try again on Tuesday.
“We took advantage of this extra time and tried to do more education,” Kelly said, adding that perhaps they missed people on summer vacation before the primary.
Kelly said she was not aware of any organized opposition to the bond. The local voters’ pamphlet does not list a statement of opposition.
Since the primary, library officials have invited the public to two meetings, one in Stanwood and one on Camano Island. Residents on the island and in rural areas around Stanwood were included in a new library capital facilities district. Voters approved the creation of that district in the primary.
In other words, voters granted Sno-Isle the ability to ask for more tax money, but did not approve spending any funds.
Kelly explained why the library system is going to ask for the money again.
The existing 5,400-square-foot library in Stanwood was last remodeled in 1986, she said.
“It was built to serve a population of about 17,000,” Kelly said. “Right now the library is serving a population of about 36,000.”
The library has not been able to keep up with the area’s rapid growth, she said. “And there’s no sign people are going to stop moving into that area.”
The new library would be built on four acres north of downtown. If voters approve the bond, the plan is to build both a new library and a new city hall there on a joint civic campus. The City Council has agreed to the concept, although many details would still need to be worked out.
The $9 million bond would only pay for the library. Owners of a $200,000 home would pay about $35 a year.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
