Levy Information

Our Board of Trustees is considering a levy lid lift ballot measure for voter consideration. They have not yet made a final decision.

WCLS is not part of county government. A majority of the library system’s budget comes from property taxes.

Our last levy lid lift was 16 years ago. During the last few years of increased inflation, we’ve been accessing reserve funds to provide library services. We’re now at a point where we need to either increase funding to maintain our current level of operations or significantly decrease expenses. Bellingham Public Library is a separate library system that is funded by the City of Bellingham.

Our next step is to host community listening sessions. There will be one at each branch as well as an online option. The board will consider feedback from these sessions as part of their decision-making process.

The sessions are open to everyone. We’ll share budget information, statistics about library use and ask for community members’ feedback. I hope you will attend to learn more, to suggest ideas and to ask questions. See pages 2-3 in the January-May 2025 Explorations for more information.

You can contact WCLS Executive Director Christine Perkins, christine.perkins@wcls.org, 360-305-3601.

A levy is a tax on property values. Approximately 95% of WCLS’s revenue comes from property taxes levied on properties within our district boundaries.

A district’s initial base levy amount (or annual budget) is set by multiplying a voter-approved levy rate by the assessed value of all the properties in the district.

Under state law, all tax levies may only increase by 1% annually plus a small adjustment for new construction. Because the levy amount must by law stay relatively fixed, as assessed property values go up, the levy rate goes down.

As the name suggests, a Levy Lid Lift raises the levy rate from its current level to a higher one, resetting the base levy amount. Levy Lid Lifts must be approved by a simple majority. The lift happens once, and after that, the district’s levy may only increase by 1% for each subsequent year.

By law, taxing districts may only increase their levies by up to 1% each year. A property valued at $600,000 that paid $156 to WCLS in year one would pay $157.56 in year 2, an increase of $1.56 to WCLS.

Your tax liabilities increase when voters approve a NEW levy (say, a school district capital projects levy, or the Jail levy) or when voters approve the formation of an entirely new taxing district, e.g., a new Park District. So, your “extra” taxes go to the new taxing districts or new levies, with only a small amount extra going to WCLS.

Google “Whatcom County Property Search” or

• Visit the Whatcom County Assessor & Treasurer Property Search
  https://property.whatcomcounty.us/
• Click on Advanced Search.
• Enter the Street Number of the property (eg. 1234)
• Enter the Street Name (start typing and select an item from the list).
• Click the blue Search button.
• Click on View Details.
• Scroll down and click on Taxing Jurisdiction.
• Look for Rural Library and look to the right for the estimated tax.  This is the amount this property pays annually for library services.

Whatcom County Library Foundation solicits private donations to support library initiatives; WCLF’s annual income varies and has brought in between $100,000-$180,000 in recent years. WCLS is also grateful for the fundraising efforts of 10 Friends of the Library organizations that hold book sales and other fundraisers to enhance their local branch libraries. Some Friends groups even own and maintain their community’s library building. Friends’ revenue is quite modest and not sufficient to pay for staffing or other ongoing operating expenses.

WCLS actively seeks state, federal and corporate funding as available. Grant cycles are competitive and usually restricted to specific purchases, e.g., not for ongoing operating expenses. WCLS received $200,000 to install EV (Electric Vehicle) charging stations at several library locations, for example. We also received $2 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce to go toward the construction of the Birch Bay Vogt Library Express. Identifying grant opportunities, applying for grants, and stewarding grant funds is a time-consuming process and WCLS’s budget does not support paying for a dedicated staff member to coordinate this work.

WCLS connects people with information and ideas to improve their lives.

We introduce children to the joy of reading and lifelong learning, which sets them on a path to academic and career success.

We give teens constructive activities to inspire their creativity and keep their minds engaged, supportive adults to guide them, and welcoming spaces to channel their energy.

We connect adults with resources to help them find jobs, pursue dreams, and learn new things.

We provide free WiFi and internet computer workstations and printers.

We connect community members and help them solve community problems. We do this with our knowledgeable, talented staff, for hands-on, personalized service – not AI or an algorithm.

We help residents save millions of dollars each year. The value of the library materials checked out annually easily surpasses $40 million, which is more than a 400% return on investment without factoring in all the other services offered.

WCLS employs 164 people in our local communities.

WCLS libraries provide cool, air-conditioned spaces when temperatures get hot outside, and dry, warm places in the winter, which can be a lifesaver for folks without AC or when the power is out.

WCLS is part of the social fabric of our communities, and everyone benefits when people are connected and engaged. WCLS is there for you and your neighbors, even if you do not need us every day or even every year.

In 1944, local grange hall leaders advocated for a rural library system. In November of that year, voters overwhelmingly approved the 2,400-square-mile library district as junior taxing entity (separate from county government and the Bellingham Public Library) and voted to tax themselves for its operation and maintenance.

Since then, the library system has grown in accordance with increasing population and need. In 2023, people made 516,032 visits to WCLS locations. WCLS cardholders checked out 2.1 million items. If each person bought those items and the average cost per item was $20, the total amount spent would be more than $41 million. The library system employs 165 Whatcom County residents.