2025 Levy Lid Lift

“YES” Vote: Sustain and expand library access and availability: FVRLibraries will build on the services our communities rely on—extending hours, expanding access, and adapting programs, spaces, and technology to meet local needs.

• Add 91 open hours/week across the district
  A 13% increase—more library and bookmobile hours for greater access

• Add staffing to match expanded hours—equal to 18 full‑time positions
  Supports longer weekly schedules across branches and bookmobiles

• Continue dedicating 12% of the budget to books, games, streaming services, and online materials
  Helps reduce wait times and expands choices, with a $450,000 increase in 2026
• Increase programs and outreach by 13%
  Adds to the 5,203 programs offered in 2024—more storytimes, events, and learning opportunities across the district

• Update technology and spaces to reflect changing community needs
  Upgrades public computers, in-library technology, and physical spaces to support how people work, learn, and connect—now and in the future

• Launch a new Clark County bookmobile
  Expands service to areas without a nearby library and connects resources with underserved communities

• Open the new Washougal Community Library in 2027
  Adds a full-service location to serve a growing area and support future community needs

• Add another community library by 2030
  Location to be determined through the master facilities planning process

• Library Funding Is Capped at 1% Growth Per Year | A levy is a tax on property values which funds the operations of FVRLibraries. FVRLibraries is an inter-county rural library district under RCW 27.12, and a junior taxing district. A district’s initial base levy amount 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 annual base levy amount must by law stay relatively fixed, as assessed property values go up, the levy rate goes down.

• Meanwhile, Library Costs Rise Much Faster | The costs of running a library—books, staffing, technology, maintenance—have risen by 4-5% annually in recent years. Additionally, the region served by FVRLibraries continues to grow. That means library funding grows slowly, even as costs and demand increase.
• The Result: The Levy Rate Drops Over Time | Because the annual base levy amount must by law stay relatively fixed, as assessed property values go up, the levy rate goes down. Even though the library serves more people and offers more services, the levy rate has dropped—from $0.50 in 2011 to less than $0.27 in 2025.

In 2026, expenses are projected to exceed revenue by over $7.6 million—and reserves will no longer be enough to cover the gap.

Imagine leasing a car that allows you to drive 10,000 miles in the first year. After that, you’re only able to increase your mileage by 1% each year—just 100 additional miles annually—regardless of changes in your commute or family needs.

Now, consider how life changes can impact your driving needs:

• New Job Commute: Suppose you take a new job adding an extra 5-mile round-trip commute daily. Over a typical 5-day workweek, that’s 25 additional miles per week, or approximately 1,300 miles per year.
• Family Usage: As your family grows, so does your daily car use—for school drop‑offs, errands, and appointments—adding about 10 extra miles each day (roughly 3,650 miles a year).

Combined, these changes can increase your annual mileage by 4,950 miles, far exceeding the modest 100-mile annual increase allowed by your lease agreement.

Over time, your allowed miles fall further behind, making it challenging to get where you need to go—not because you’re doing less, but because the limit hasn’t kept up with reality.

💡 That’s how library funding works in Washington State. By law, FVRLibraries’ property tax revenue can only increase by 1% per year—unless voters approve a levy lid lift. Even when demand grows or costs go up, the revenue limit stays the same. Over time, this can create a gap between what the library is allowed to collect and what it takes to maintain or expand existing services.

In 2001, Washington State voters approved Initiative 747, which limits the amount local taxing districts can collect through regular property taxes.

Under this law:

• Local government agencies—including libraries—can increase their property tax revenue by no more than 1% per year, unless voters approve a higher amount.
• This limit applies even when costs for staffing, materials, and technology rise faster than 1%.

Because of this cap, many local agencies, including FVRLibraries, must periodically return to voters to ask if the tax rate should be restored to keep pace with service needs.