Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
During its October meeting, the Whitman County Library Board of Trustees approved a special election to restore the library’s levy tax rate. The measure will go before county voters living outside of Pullman city limits on Feb. 13, 2018. The Board deemed the measure necessary in light of heavy usage and a dropping tax rate due to limitations set forth in Initiative 747 which limits property tax revenue increases to one percent per year.
The library can collect up to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, but because of I-747 limits on revenue gains each year, the actual tax rate currently sits at $.46 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
This translates to a $90,000 loss in potential library revenues. Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick commented that the impact has been huge at nearly 10 percent of the budget for the district.
“The library has cut everywhere we can. For 2018, we’ve frozen all staff wages and slashed other budget items including books, online resources, staff training and mileage reimbursements.”
Kirkpatrick added that if the measure were to fail, open hours, staffing and programs would be cut in 2019.
Restoring the library’s levy rate to $.50 cents, an added four cents per $1,000 of assessed value would add an estimated $12 a month for a home valued at $150,000, Kirkpatrick noted.
Kirkpatrick reported operating 14 branch locations on a $1,000,000 budget requires a lot of penny-pinching and prioritization.
“The district has been so fortunate to fund facility renovations in Uniontown, Endicott and The Center in Colfax through grants, donations and volunteers. This levy restoration is needed strictly for operations and services,” Kirkpatrick said.
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