Seattle's Library Levy Renewal Campaign Kicks Into Full Gear
Seattle voters face a choice around the future of the Seattle Public Library (SPL) this August, as they decide how to vote on a seven-year renewal of the city's library levy. And while voting to support public libraries will be an easy choice for many Seattle households, supporters of the library system aren't taking any votes for granted.
On May 21, library advocates gathered in Green Lake Park – across from the newly remodeled Green Lake branch library – to celebrate the kickoff of the Yes Seattle Libraries campaign. Among those showing up to highlight the investments that would come from the $480 million package were City Councilmembers Dan Strauss and Dionne Foster, and leaders with the Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Seattle Public Library.
While the current library levy was approved in 2019 with 76% of the vote, this renewal has prompted considerable scrutiny, in large part because of forces outside of the Seattle Public Library's control. Though the library levy makes up a relatively small portion of Seattle's property tax rate, the $0.07 bump for every $1,000 of assessed property value will push the city further toward a state-imposed hard cap at $3.60 per $1,000 in assessed value.
If voters say yes to libraries, that rate will sit at $3.07, and future levies will be inching close to the cumulative cap. That fact, along with more broad concerns about increasing Seattle's property tax rate, will likely be put front and center in this summer's levy campaign.
https://www.theurbanist.org/seattles-library-levy-renewal-campaign-kicks-into-full-gear/