Community Corner
Pierce Library Board Meeting Coming To Gig Harbor
The restored levy is on the November ballot because costs to operate and maintain library services.
From Pierce Co. Library: The Pierce County Library System’s Board of Trustees will learn about services at Gig Harbor Pierce County Library and will discuss its restored levy ballot measure and other issues at the Board’s meeting at Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Drive NW, Gig Harbor, onWednesday, Sept. 12, at 3:30 p.m.
Gig Harbor residents are known to say and show “we love our library,” and the Pierce County Library’s Board of Trustees will find out how much this community of readers learns from and enjoys their library. The library boasts the highest checkout rate of any of the 20 Pierce County Libraries with people checking out 705,000 books, movies and other materials from Gig Harbor Library last year. Nearly 30,000 people have active library cards – that is three times more than the population of the city of Gig Harbor. The library is known for its resources and classes for small business owners and technology and other classes it takes to senior living facilities. Recently the Library System partnered with Pierce County Law Library to establish a law library kiosk at Gig Harbor Library.
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Library leaders will update the Board on election documents filed with Pierce and King County Elections Offices for Proposition No. 1, a levy lid lift to restore the Library’s funding to its full legal amount of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. This would be an increase of approximately 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed property. To the owner of an average home assessed at $320,000 this would be approximately a $32 increase in 2019.
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If voters approve the Nov. 6 ballot measure, 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.
In 2006 voters passed a re-stored levy, and The Library System has met or surpassed all levy promises with funding from the 2006 levy that was projected to maintain services for up to six years. The Library has stretched that funding for 12 years.
The restored levy is on the November ballot because costs to operate and maintain library services and libraries are increasing at a faster and higher rate than revenues. Property taxes make up approximately 94 percent of the Pierce County Library’s revenue. State law limits local governments, including the Pierce County Library, to an increase in property taxes of no more than 1 percent plus property taxes from new construction each year.
More information: http://www.piercecountylibrary.org/files/library/board-packet-20180912.pdf.
Contact: Mary Getchell, Marketing and Communications Director
253-548-3428-office; 253-229-4477-mobile
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