North Olympic Library System to ask for levy lid lift

Published 1:30 am Monday, March 9, 2026

PORT ANGELES — The North Olympic Library System will ask Clallam County voters next month for its first levy lid lift increase in 15-plus years.

The library board of trustees voted 4-0 with Ian Miller excused at their Feb. 26 regular meeting to put the proposition on a special election ballot on April 28.

They will ask voters to increase the regular property tax levy from its current rate of $0.28 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $0.45 per $1,000 starting in 2027.

All Clallam County registered voters will receive a ballot. Levies must pass with a simple majority.

The library system has branches in Sequim, Port Angeles, Clallam Bay and Sequim, and a Bookmobile that operates at various locations throughout the year.

NOLS’ 2025 annual report states that the system had 32,000-plus active cardholders last year, 25,000-plus attend an event, 993,000-plus checkouts and renewals, and 312,000-plus patron visits between its branches.

“We know every dollar counts to folks now, but do feel it’s a reasonable return on investment,” NOLS Executive Director Noah Glaude said.

Library staff estimate that a property owner with a $300,000 assessed value would see their current monthly cost for the library go from $7 to $11.25 per month, and a $400,000 property go from $9.33 to $15 per month.

That rate is below the state-authorized maximum of $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, which was approved by Clallam County voters on Aug. 17, 2010.

That proposition brought the tax levy rate from $0.33 to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. It passed with 59.1 percent of the vote.

Under state law, NOLS’ property tax revenue cannot increase by more than 1 percent annually unless approved by voters.

Glaude said administrators had discussed whether to go back to voters each budget season the past seven years.

“(The 2010 voter-approved rate) hung on for a little while, and around 2012, property values dipped for quite a while and then skyrocketed, and that’s when the rate started to shrink,” he said.

Like other junior tax districts, revenues largely depend on local property tax revenue. NOLS’ operating budget consists of about 87 percent of property taxes, staff report.

Glaude said they’ve made due stretching tax dollars and donations, including use of a bequeathment of about $500,000 to cover most of NOLS’ collection budget in 2025.

“It’s beneficial but doesn’t sustain us long term,” he said.

In meeting documents, NOLS staff state that inflation and other factors have driven up costs for materials, wages, insurance and utilities, and despite reducing the library system’s budget from 2025 to 2026, trustees agreed to transfer about $1.5 million from reserves to balance the budget.

NOLS’ operating reserve as of Jan. 31 is about $603,000, according to a staff report.

“Our reserves will not last for much longer,” Glaude said. “The only sustainable option besides reducing hours and staff is to restore the levy rate and collect enough to sustain operating costs.”

If the levy lid lift passes, the library’s levy total would increase to about $7.8 million compared to this year’s operating budget of about $7.3 million.

Revenue collected over the amount needed would go into reserves for “when the levy rate inevitably begins to shrink again and inflation causes costs to increase,” staff wrote.

“(Forty-five cents) is enough to cover our operating costs and allow for some of that inflation and growth to occur that’s inevitable and build our reserves up,” Glaude said.

If the levy doesn’t pass, NOLS staff report that they likely would have to reduce open hours, access to collections, services such as early literacy, technology access, programming, the Bookmobile services and other outreach services, and delay needed maintenance and improvement of spaces starting in 2027.

Glaude said an April election gives staff more time to plan next year’s budget as opposed to the August primary or November general election due to staff union negotiations required in the fall.

For more information about NOLS, visit nols.org.

Sequim Library

The Sequim temporary library at 609 W. Washington St., Suite 21, continues to operate as the renovated and expanded Sequim Branch Library at 630 N. Sequim Ave. is being readied for an opening day.

Glaude said on Feb. 26 that they’re waiting for an occupancy permit from the city of Sequim.

“We won’t give an exact date until we’re ready,” he said.

“We’ll do a soft opening and have a celebratory event later in the spring when we have more time to plan that out.”

The temporary library is open for holds and returns from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with outside return boxes available any time. Holds can be made at https://catalog.nols.org.

According to a Feb. 20 NOLS website post, all of the materials from the temporary library have been moved back to the remodeled branch.

The Sequim Avenue building closed for renovations on March 10, 2024, to add about 10,000 square feet. The approximate $10.7 million construction costs mostly come from state timber revenues along with $1.5 million in community donations and grants.

The temporary library opened April 1, 2024, and closed to full service on Jan. 31.

For more information about the Sequim building, email sequim@nols.org.

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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.