Letter urges Island County voters to back library levy renewal
Proposition 1 would restore Sno-Isle’s levy on the Aug. 4 ballot, with Island County voters weighing service hours, kids programs and rural access.
A letter to the editor is urging Island County voters to back Proposition 1, the Sno-Isle Libraries levy-restoration measure on the Aug. 4 primary ballot. The Sno-Isle Libraries Board of Trustees moved the question forward on March 23, putting it in front of voters in both Island and Snohomish counties.
Prop. 1 is being presented as a restoration, not a new expansion. Sno-Isle Libraries has framed the vote as a chance to restore levy funding, and local coverage has described the levy as the property tax source that provides most of the system’s budget.
That budget matters far beyond one branch door in Oak Harbor, Coupeville or Freeland. Sno-Isle Libraries serves more than 800,000 residents across Snohomish and Island counties through 23 community libraries, online services and Library on Wheels. The county’s sample ballot for the Aug. 4 primary included the measure, and Island County election results pages were already prepared for the vote.
The practical question for households is what gets preserved if the levy passes, and what gets squeezed if it does not. Sno-Isle’s own levy and budget pages say the money is meant to support library hours, books, high-speed internet, earthquake-proof buildings and early-learning. Supporters also point to children’s reading programs, free access to books and technology, spaces to gather and learn, and online resources available to all.
That reaches families who use the library for homework help, seniors who rely on public computers, and residents who do not live near a branch. Library on Wheels remains part of that reach, with a listed contact number of 360-651-7059 and manager Sonia Gustafson attached to the service. For rural parts of Island County, that mobile access can matter as much as a branch in town.
For homeowners, the issue is the restoration of the property tax levy to its previous rate. Voters in Island County will decide whether Sno-Isle Libraries keeps the levy revenue that has carried the majority of its funding, or whether the district has to keep tightening services while the budget pressure continues.
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