Eugene Public Library launches levy campaign for May 19 ballot

The Eugene Public Library Foundation launched a campaign at the downtown Eugene Public Library in late February to ask voters to increase the library levy from 15 cents to 19 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, a change that KEZI reported would raise roughly $4.3 million per year and cost the average homeowner about $54 annually, or $4.50 per month. The campaign organizers invited the public to the kickoff event as the city prepares to place the measure on the May 19 primary ballot.

Backers say the levy currently supplies about 23% of the library system’s total budget and that this would be the first rate increase in 20 years. KEZI reported the levy now costs the average homeowner about $37 per year, a figure campaign leaders reference when describing the proposed increase to $54 a year. Supporters and library officials frame the proposal as a five-year renewal to maintain that funding share.

Campaign literature and public statements list specific priorities for the additional revenue: expanded early childhood education programming, hiring a dedicated children’s librarian, reinstating the Storytime-to-Go outreach program, and funding broader staffing and literacy efforts. NBC16 reported plans to use levy funds for two remote library kiosks, to preserve and expand diverse collections, and to increase public internet access; the Eugene City Council said the levy will help maintain funding for 47 weeks across all three Eugene libraries.

Organizing partners named at the kickoff include the Eugene Public Library Foundation, the YES for Eugene Library PAC, Friends of Eugene Public Library, a library political action committee described by KEZI as spearheading the campaign, and volunteers working on outreach. Dana Fleming, executive director for the Eugene Public Library Foundation, underscored the value proposition in campaign remarks: "I know times are tight and that is not negligible to increase. The value that libraries give our community and the money folks save by using libraries cuts down on the cost of subscription services. You can get books, DVD's, online streaming, all those things for free with your library card."

Officials have warned of consequences if voters reject the measure. NBC16 reported library leadership saying the system could face potential branch closures and significant service cuts without the levy, a warning officials use to emphasize the levy’s 23% contribution to operating revenue.

The levy has a long local history: reporting states it was first established in 2000, that the city instituted a five-year levy cycle in 2015, and that residents have voted every five years since 2000. KEZI calls the current plan a renewal campaign to continue the levy for another five years. KEZI’s coverage lists the author as Izzy La Rue; some metadata records show the name as Israel La Rue.

Voters in Eugene will decide the proposal on May 19; if approved, backers say the increased revenue will support the programs and staffing priorities named at the kickoff, and if rejected, council and library officials have signaled possible reductions in hours, services, or branch operations.