(The Center Square) – The Seattle City Council approved a beefed-up $479.7 million library levy Tuesday that would raise the tax burden on local property owners by 124%, despite concern by the levy’s sponsor that city taxes are becoming unaffordable for some residents.
The levy approved by the City Council is $70 million more than the original $410 million plan advocated by Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and will cost home owners $191 a year from 2027 to 2033, based on a median home assessed at $872,000.
City Councilwoman Maritza Rivera, the sponsor of the library levy, said what was a $219 million levy in 2019 has now gone up to $479 million.
“The truth is that it is 70% more even after counting for inflation, ” she said.
Councilwoman Dionne Foster said the levy would only amount to $16 a month, a small amount to pay to properly fund the library system.
But Rivera said that total property taxes for Seattle homeowners were $8,000 for those with the median value house of $872,000.
“So once you start taking into account all of the taxes, I think it’s hard to argue that it’s just $16 a month,” she said. “That’s true for the libraries but that’s not the only thing we’re paying for.”
Rivera said she has been hearing from people who want to retire, but continue to work, because they cannot afford their Seattle property taxes.
Mayor Wilson’s initial plan focused largely on keeping doors open and meeting basic operational needs for the 27-branch system.
Council members tacked on thirteen amendments that raised the maintenance budget to keep elevators running, added security guards and “navigators” to help the homeless find social services and add more audio books and best selling hard covers for library lending.
Homeowners had been paying an approximate $85 a year from the current seven-year levy that ends at the end of 2026.
Voters will decide whether to approve the levy or reject it on August 4.
Seventy-one percent of voters approved the last library levy in 2019, and council hearings over last weeks were packed with enthusiastic library users urging more funding for the library system.
The surge in spending comes also with a significant warning. The new levy would bring Seattle within $210 million of its state-mandated limit as to the amount of levies that can be imposed.
Seattle property holders pay other levies for education, transportation and housing and they face renewal starting in 2030. The city might not be able to propose expanding those levies, even if it is deemed that increases are needed, if it uses up too much of its capacity funding the libraries.
The city’s ability to levy taxes is also dependent on property values, so Seattle could even have less money to levy if values don’t grow as much as anticipated or start declining.
“This is not about who loves the libraries more,” Rivera said. “This is about fiscal responsibility and our ability to pay for all our needs.”
Ultimately, Rivera voted with her other colleagues to send the $479.7 million levy to the voters.
Councilman Rob Saka said the council was doing the right thing by increasing Wilson’s levy.
“This is about empowerment,” he said. “Its about providing durable, lasting economic opportunity through learning.”
