Sno-Isle Libraries received a clean bill of financial health for the 24th year in the row from the state Auditor’s Office.
The library, which serves more than 646,000 people in Snohomish and Island counties, is audited once a year because of the size of its annual budget. This audit covered 2008, according to the Sno-Isle Libraries officials.
The auditor evaluates accounting practices, reviews payroll and bill paying records, and analyzes financial systems for tracking how tax dollars are spent.
This month, people in Snohomish and Island counties voted on a new tax measure for the district. County elections staff are still tallying the votes, but it appears the measure will pass with about 53 percent of the vote.
Sno-Isle Libraries Proposition 1, which would increase the library district’s levy rate by 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, was narrowly leading in the all-mail ballot.
The tax rate for the libraries would rise from 31 cents to 40 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The owner of a $300,000 home would pay an extra $27 a year.
Sno-Isle has 21 libraries spanning the area from Arlington to Mountlake Terrace and Sultan to Freeland. Sno-Isle has 491 full- and part-time workers. It has a $38 million budget, including reserves, and checked out 8.4 million items in 2008.
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