Library is hopeful voters will approve levy lift
Published 1:30 am Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Orcas Library hopes it can continue to be a hub of learning, growth and connection for the next decade by passing a levy lid lift this November.
“Our library is truly a jewel within the jewel that is Orcas Island,” says Dr. Sam Blackman, current Library Trustee and member of the Orcas Island Library Advocacy Committee, which is advocating for the lift. “In an era of decreased state and federal funding for public libraries, it’s critical to ensure that the library’s property tax levy is restored to a level that will allow current services to continue unabated.”
The library levy lid lift is on the Nov. 4 ballot. The last levy was approved by voters in 2016. As the library has grown in size and its number of patrons, staff members rely on volunteers and donations to maintain the bustling facility. In 2024, the library hosted 107,760 visits, delivered 417 programs with 11,916 attendees and circulated 82,712 items.
The property tax levy is the primary source of funding for services provided by the library. The operational budget for the library is limited by a 1% cap on annual levy increases and cannot keep pace with inflation and normal expenses. As a result, the 2016 levy of $0.45 per $1,000 of assessed value now has an effective rate of only $0.215 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2025.
According to the committee, “careful stewardship and budgeting” allows the board to project that a partial levy lid lift of $0.42 per $1,000 assessed value will provide sufficient funding through 2035.
The proposed levy lid lift would raise the property tax rate from 21.5 cents to 42 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. For a $700,000 home, this means a $147 annual increase.
“The library needs to restore funding levels to be able to sustain current levels of service and provide for critical ongoing maintenance,” per the committee. “Without it, library services will be reduced. Federal funding for libraries has been severely cut, and these cuts impact state funding, and reduce funding for services here on Orcas Island.”
The committee warns that without a new levy lid lift, operations will be constrained by a smaller budget, which means reduced hours, programs, collections, and services as well as staff cuts and deferred building maintenance. Further decreases in state and federal funding would likely accelerate the reduction in services.
“Voting yes will not only keep the library functioning at level that islanders have come to depend on, it will allow us to perform the routine maintenance necessary to keep our beautiful facilities in shape and protect the investment the community made in 2016 when we expanded the building,” Blackman said.
