LYNNWOOD — Voters in Lynnwood will decide on Nov. 7 whether the Lynnwood Library should be annexed by the Sno-Isle Library District.
If voters approve the annexation, Lynnwood property owners will pay taxes directly to the library district for library services, starting in January 2008.
Right now, residents pay for library service indirectly through the city.
Last year, the city of Lynnwood paid $1.1 million annually to Sno-Isle, while it cost the district $3.5 million to run the Lynnwood Library at 19200 44th Ave. W.
The library district also agreed to set aside $1.3 million in the first four years of the annexation in a reserve fund, which can only be used for building maintenance, upgrades or constructing a new building.
The city of Lynnwood will continue to own the library building.
Details about the reserve fund delayed a formal agreement between the library district and city of Lynnwood for about a month.
The library district board agreed on Monday with the Lynnwood City Council’s decision earlier this year to put the question to voters.
The library district’s levy rate changes annually, mostly because of fluctuations in assessed property values.
The district library rate for this year is 43 cents for every $1,000 of assessed value. So the homeowner of a $300,000 house would pays $129 per year.
By state law, the library district levy rate cannot go higher than 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
Lynnwood Councilman Jim Smith cast the only dissenting vote against the annexation, which he describes as a “back door tax.” If the city of Lynnwood no longer pays the $1.1 million library contract, the city should either return the money to citizens thereby reducing the city budget by $1.1 million annually or pick a specific project for the money.
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