Sno-Isle Libraries to ask for levy restoration

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, March 24, 2026

In the Aug. 4 primary elections, voters in both Island and Snohomish County will decide whether to restore levy funding for Sno-Isle Libraries.

The Sno-Isle Libraries Board of Trustees adopted a resolution on March 23 to move forward with a ballot measure that offers to restore the levy rate to $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This is an increase from the current levy rate of $0.3 per $1,000 of assessed value. The new property tax would help support the library district’s services, according to a press release. Should voters reject the increased levy rate, Sno-Isle Libraries will have to “make cuts to staff, services and hours,” it says on its website. In the case that it is rejected, the operating deficit in 2027 is projected to be $1.9 million, Katie Leone, the marketing and communications manager said. By 2028, the deficit will grow to $4.3 million, she added.

“Since 2018, Sno-Isle Libraries has carefully managed our budget to serve our community. But costs and use have increased, and our budget can no longer keep up,” according to its website.

The voting opportunity to determine library funding happens every several years. The last time the library levy was restored was eight years ago. The reason the levy rate is currently lower than in 2018, Leoneexplained, is because levy rates naturally fall over time. While library funding doesn’t stay the same as the years go on, it is always capped at a 1% increase each year.

The library district is currently making $75.5 million in revenue. A total of 91% of that comes from property tax.

If the levy is approved, the library property tax in Island County will increase by $106.32 per year based on a median home value of $640,100.

On Whidbey Island, Sno-Isle has libraries in Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Langley, Freeland and Clinton.

Voters can learn more about the library levy at www.sno-isle.org/levy.