Lopez Library — a library ‘like none other’ — is asking voters to lift property tax levy lids to enable continued community service.
On Aug. 5, Lopez Island voters will be asked to approve the lifting of a levy lid for Lopez Library.
The ballot measure is even simpler than its poetic alliteration: if approved, it would restore the library’s regular property tax levy rate to $0.48 per $1,000 of assessed property value — the same rate Lopez voters approved in 2019.
The library is an independent junior taxing district, just like a school or fire district. Operating separately from San Juan County government, the library may not fund itself with county taxes. Instead, it must appeal directly to voters.
Statewide, Washington voters made such appeals more necessary in 2001 by passing Initiative 747, which set a cap, known as the “101% levy limit.” This rule says that the amount a district such as the library can collect in property taxes may not increase by more than 1% each year without voter approval. Unfortunately, according to the library’s FAQ page, the costs of most factors that keep the library functioning — maintenance, insurance, goods and services — increase faster than 1% annually.
“We’ve managed our finances carefully, but with rising costs and ongoing funding uncertainty at the federal and state levels, we now need to restore the levy rate to continue delivering the services our community depends on,” director Darren Hoerner said in a press release.
Specifically, the library’s budget for books, movies and other materials for patrons hasn’t increased in several years, so — thanks to inflation — the current levy lid means fewer materials purchased each year. As for maintenance, projects like updating the electrical system, and heating and cooling duct repair have all been delayed.
In 2025, the library’s total budget is $755,749, which supports a range of services, including six-day-a-week open hours and 24/7 access to wifi, eBooks and streaming media. For those who desire to get into the budget weeds, the library provides this breakdown:
- 71% goes toward wages and benefits for library staff.
- 8% is spent on new library materials, including books, eBooks, movies and music, to keep the collection fresh and in demand.
- 3% supports community programs for all ages.
- The remaining 18% covers operations, including building maintenance, insurance, utilities and supplies.
Funding measures
A whopping 90% of Lopez Library’s funding derives from local property taxes. Lopez is not alone in this dependency; libraries on San Juan and Orcas islands are similarly reliant on levies. The Whatcom County Library System, or WCLS, receives 95.1% of its funding from property taxes paid by community members who live outside the Bellingham city limits, according to Bellingham Public Library Director Rebecca Judd. While the City of Bellingham’s four libraries are funded primarily through the city’s general fund, WCLS is a junior taxing district, like Lopez, receiving no funding from the county. WCLS, with 10 branch locations throughout Whatcom County, has its own levy lid lift ballot measure set for Aug. 5, and Orcas Island Library is planning for one in November. San Juan Island held a successful levy lid lift vote in 2024.
In Skagit County, the libraries of Burlington, Mount Vernon and Anacortes receive funding through their respective city budgets. The county is divided into three levy districts: Upper Skagit, Central Skagit and La Conner. Of these, only Upper Skagit is posing a levy lid lift question to voters this year, said director Erica Brown, but not until the November ballot.
On Lopez, some voters might wonder why a levy lid lift is needed, given the 2024 launch of Project Little Red, named for Lopez Library’s iconic former-schoolhouse building. But this five-year, $2 million capital campaign in no way takes the place of taxpayer funding.
First, it focuses exclusively on major repairs and building improvements, like replacing the leaking roof.
Secondly, Project Little Red is a joint effort between the Friends of Lopez Island Library and the library itself, and its funding comes from a mix of sources, including private donations and grants. In contrast, the levy lid lift asks voters to provide more stable funding for day-to-day library operations like staff, programs, books, movies, digital services and general upkeep. The library needs both enterprises, public and private, to maintain its role.
‘Where the community gathers’
Besides offering a huge range of items for checkout beyond books and videos — musical instruments; DVD players, computers and hotspots; even State Park Discovery Passes and binoculars — Lopez Library has, Hoerner said in an interview, “a long history as a place where the community gathers, learns and connects.”
The Lopez Library opened in March, 1977. For almost a century before that, the building was used as the Lopez Village schoolhouse.
A quick glance into the library in July reveals exhibits of sculpture and painting by local artists Eirene Blomberg and Julia Mira as well as a healthy mix of local and visiting patrons.
Longtime Lopezian Doreen Kana, playing chess with grandson Lev, said she enjoyed poetry readings, storytelling and the library’s offering of space for the monthly acoustic musical jam on third Thursday evenings, while Lev has been enjoying the craft room.
Another library regular, Merleen McKenzie, when asked if the restored levy rate sounded worthwhile — an increase of about $9 per month for the owner of a $600,000 property, for an annual $108 — replied, “Absolutely!”
Librarian Ingrid Vliet, asked how a failure to lift the levy lid would affect Lopez Library, said that staffing cuts came to mind first, which would require cuts in library hours. “We can only be open as many hours as we can staff,” Vliet explained.
Despite the extra work and tension of pushing a ballot measure, Hoerner professed himself pleased that the levy issue provides another opportunity for the community to weigh in on the library’s future. “I spent more than 20 years working with public libraries around the world — across Africa, Latin America, Central/Eastern Europe and Asia. Trust me when I say the Lopez Library is like none other. You sense it when you approach from the street, a feeling that embraces you as you walk among the stacks, read by the fire, craft in the Sun Room. It’s like a hug coming from the decades of love and commitment that this community has generously provided, building a place that nurtures us all.”
— By Gretchen K. Wing