Woodway To Vote On Library -- Some Oppose Taxes Accompanying Joining System

To Mary Lou Block, the issue facing voters in the town of Woodway is easy: Vote yes or lose access to the 1.3 million books in the Sno-Isle Regional Library System.

"I think libraries are an element of a civilized society and to think you wouldn't care about having access to one is really difficult to understand," said the supporter of a proposed library tax.

In the coming general election, the town will vote on whether to join the library system and pay the required tax of 50 cents per $1,000 assessed property valuation. That would cost $100 a year for the owner of a $200,000 home.

That's the same rate the rest of the communities in the library system pay, but some of Woodway's residents say it's too much money.

"It's almost extortion it's so high," said Ruth Day, who is retired and on a fixed income.

"I buy all my books," said Day, a leader of the campaign to defeat the ballot measure. "I don't know anyone who uses the library, frankly."

The town, population 975, has no library of its own, so residents who want library services must buy Sno-Isle nonresident cards for $75 a year ($50 for seniors), giving them access to the system's 19 libraries in Snohomish and Island counties. About 150 Woodway residents now use the cards, according to Tom Mayer, library director for Sno-Isle.

However, Sno-Isle will stop issuing nonresident cards after next year. To maintain library access, the town will have to join Sno-Isle and pay the same tax rate as the other communities in the library system.

If voters reject the proposal, Woodway would become the only town in Snohomish and Island counties without access to a library system, according to Mayer.

Mayer said libraries should be supported by everyone, not just those who check out books.

But Day said kids can already check out books at school libraries, so they won't be deprived of reading materials. The bottom line is the tax increase, she said.

Woodway's abundance of posh homes would see some hefty tax increases if the measure is approved. Snohomish County Assessor Gail Rauch said Woodway homes on average are more expensive than those in neighboring communities. The median assessed value was $350,000 as of four years ago, the latest figure available, and is probably much higher now, she said.

But the town's current property tax rate of $2.12 per $1,000 assessed valuation is low compared to nearby communities, Rauch said. Edmonds homeowners pay $2.64 per $1,000 assessed valuation and the rate in Lynnwood is $3.10. Those rates don't include the county and state portions of the property tax.

To library boosters, this election will be a test of civic pride.