King County library measure ahead by slight margin

By the narrowest of margins, voters in King County were approving a ballot proposition that would keep the King County Library System from having to make substantial cuts in its budget in 2011 and beyond.

The proposition was leading by 50.5 percent, with 28 percent of the ballots returned and counted so far. Officials were expecting a total return of 35 percent.

It would raise the rural library district's property taxes to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed home valuation in 2011. That's up eight cents from this year's rate.

If the measure fails, the library predicts it would have to cut its budget by 10 to 15 percent, likely resulting in longer wait times for popular books, less computer availability, less frequent maintenance and upkeep of the system's 45 branches and eventually a reduction in library hours and staff positions.

Passage of the measure would allow the library to get around an initiative that limits the growth in property-tax revenues to 1 percent annually unless voters approve a higher cap.

"We thought it was going to be close," said library director Bill Ptacek. "Frankly, we're hoping — from what I've seen in these elections, if it's positive it stays positive," he said of the vote count. Ptacek said if the proposition fails, the library won't go back to voters a second time. "We're going to assume the people have spoken."

King County elections officials plan to release updated vote tallies at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and most other weekdays through Feb. 24, when final results are to be available.

The measure was on the ballot in all of King County except for Seattle, Renton, Enumclaw, Hunts Point and Yarrow Point — cities that aren't part of the county library system.

Under I-747, an initiative passed by voters in 2001, the library could only raise revenues by 1 percent a year.

But in the past eight years, and especially in the recent recession, use at the libraries has skyrocketed — up 43 percent since 2002, said Julie Brand, communications and marketing director for the library. The 1 percent annual increase in revenues hasn't kept up with the costs of running the libraries.

This is the second time King County has asked voters to approve a bump in property-tax collections for the library system. In 2002, voters passed a similar measure that raised the rate to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation for one year.

Under the new tax rate, the owner of a $375,000 home — the average value of a home in King County — would pay about $187 in 2011, or about $30 more than this year's property-tax levy for library services.

Will Knedlik, a former state representative and tax activist, wrote a statement for the voters pamphlet against the measure. He said the library system should have to cut its budget as other government agencies have done in lean times. Knedlik also said the way the library presented the information to voters was deceptive and that the library is spending too much on entertainment and computer access for children.

Also on the ballot was a proposition to add the city of Renton to the King County library system. That proposition, too, was leading with 51.3 percent.

Katherine Long: 206-464-2219 or klong@seattletimes.com