TACOMA – The Pierce County Library System’s Board of Trustees will discuss election results from its restored levy, 2019 budget and work plan including the first of two public hearings on the budget, and other issues at the Board’s meeting at Pierce County Library’s Administrative Center and Library, 3005 112th St. E., Tacoma, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 3:30 p.m.
Restored levy: Today, Nov. 9, the Pierce County Elections Office projects it will have counted and reported 95 percent of the ballots for the Library’s restored levy ballot measure, Proposition No. 1. On election night approximately 92,000 of the 226,294 (as of Nov. 8) ballots had been counted. Proposition No. 1, a levy lid lift, would restore the Library’s levy rate to its full legal amount of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. To the owner of an average home assessed at $320,000 this would be approximately a $32 increase in 2019.
- The restored levy would maintain services including open hours at 20 locations and online library resources; 1.5 million books, e-books, movies and other materials; staff to support learning with thousands of classes and events; computers, Wi-Fi and technology; and community spaces.
- Without the restored levy, the Library System would further eliminate and reduce services including the hours libraries are open; the number of books, movies and other materials; and classes and events; as well as close two to three libraries.
- The restored levy was on the November ballot because costs to operate and maintain library services and libraries are increasing at a faster and higher rate than revenues.
2019 budget and work plan: With the ballot measure, library leaders created two budgets—one reflecting a restored levy with revenue at 50 cents per $1,000 and one reflecting a reduction in services with revenue at 39 cents per $1,000. If voters give a clear direction in today’s vote count, at the Nov. 14 Board meeting, the Board will conduct a public hearing on only one of the proposed budgets.