Olympia and Tumwater residents would pay about $59 more per year in library property taxes if voters approve Proposition 1 on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The measure would raise Timberland Regional Library's (TRL) levy rate from $0.22 to $0.35 per $1,000 of assessed property value across all five counties the system serves: Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor and Pacific.

That $59 estimate is based on the 2025 median Thurston County home value of $457,400, according to TRL's levy page.

It is the first time in more than 17 years that TRL has asked voters to increase its levy rate. A 2009 attempt failed.

The levy lid lift is TRL's response to a $3.8 million budget shortfall that led to layoffs, furloughs and the resignation of former Executive Director Cheryl Heywood, the Nisqually Valley News reported. TRL eliminated 100 positions between 2021 and 2026, Interim Executive Director Andrea Heisel said in a Q&A with the Nisqually Valley News.

"We're either going to have to make some pretty substantial cuts to live within our revenue, or voters can approve an increase in their tax rate," TRL Board President Brian Mittge said at the board's July 22 meeting, as reported by the Nisqually Valley News.

Why the shortfall

Washington state law caps annual property tax growth at 1%. TRL's levy rate has dropped from the legal maximum of $0.50 to $0.22 over the past 25 years as costs outpaced revenue, according to TRL. Property taxes make up 96% of the library system's budget.

TRL's board of trustees voted unanimously on July 22 to place Proposition 1 on the ballot. If approved, the $0.35 rate would take effect in 2027 and 2028, with a maximum 1% annual increase after that.

The measure would generate about $14 million in new operating revenue in its first year, according to The JOLT.

What approval or defeat would mean

If the levy passes, TRL plans to add staffed hours, expand collections, reduce wait times for popular items and hire staff. In Thurston County alone, the library system would add 19.4 full-time equivalent positions, the JOLT reported. Hawks Prairie Library has already cut Sunday hours and closed on Mondays.

If the measure fails, TRL says it would cut staffed hours across its 29 branches, shrink digital and physical collections, reduce mobile library services and lean more heavily on unstaffed card-access hours at some locations.

Local governments line up in support

Four local governments have passed resolutions backing Proposition 1. The Thurston County Board of Commissioners voted in support on Sept. 1. The Tumwater City Council followed with a unanimous vote on Sept. 15, according to The Daily Chronicle.

The Olympia City Council passed its resolution on Oct. 6, the Thurston Chronicle reported. Several residents spoke in favor at a public hearing before the vote. No one spoke against it.

The Lacey City Council endorsed the measure on Oct. 13, with council member Lenny Greenstein casting the lone abstention. Greenstein said he believes elected officials should not take positions on ballot measures.

Not everyone is on board. Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope signed up to write the sole "against" argument for the voter's guide, the Nisqually Valley News reported.

How to vote

Ballots were mailed to registered voters on Friday, Oct. 16. Completed ballots must be deposited in an official drop box by 8 p.m. on election day. The proposition needs a simple majority to pass.