FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q : What happened ? I thought we pay library tax already ?
A : Tim Eyman's anti-tax initiative 747 seemed like a simple cap on increases that would only allow 1% raises on property tax. But the way it really works did not allow budgets to match real growth of population and costs of service. So the pot of tax money grows with increased population and demand, but services like the library system are restricted to the previous year's budget plus 1% increase.
So with more total tax payers being added on to share the cost of paying the same limited amount as was paid the year before, the burden is spread thinner, and the rate drops per payer. Meanwhile the library system's costs and usage go up, while revenues go down. The levy lift would merely replace proportional funding that had originally been needed.
Q : Isn't it unfair for home owners to pay for all the libraries, when renters get to use it for free?
A : Renters pay rent to landlords who pay property tax. There is no residence in the county excluded from property tax. Landlords set rental rates to include property tax costs.
Q : How often does the library ask for more money?
A : It has been 29 years since the Whatcom Library System asked the voters for more money. Between then and 2001, the rate was raised to 50 cents per $1000 of home value. That is widely accepted as sufficient funding to run a library system.
After the levy cap was activated in 2001, the rates have dropped down to 33 cents. The levy vote would just put the rate back up closer to what it used to be.