News
Dayton Voters Consider Library District Annexation
If annexation is approved, residents of Dayton will join the Columbia County Rural Library District and funds from city taxpayers to support library services will shift from the City to the District.
By Ken Graham
In August, voters in Dayton will decide whether to annex the city into the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD). The measure will be on the primary ballots that will be counted on August 18th.
The CCRLD currently includes only the unincorporated areas of Columbia County. If the measure is approved, the city will be included in the District and city property tax payers will support the library through the District.
According to Columbia County Assessor Chris Miller, the overall property tax levy rate paid by city tax payers won't change as a result of annexation. "The tax money that goes to the Library District from taxpayers in Dayton will be deducted from what the City receives," she says.
The City of Dayton has entered into a tentative agreement with the CCRLD that will go into effect only if the annexation measure passes. This "annexation agreement" calls for the CCRLD to take over ownership of the Dayton Memorial Library, including all books and other assets. The CCRLD will then assume the expenses of operation and maintenance of the Library. These costs are currently paid by the City of Dayton. The agreement also calls for ownership of the library property to revert back to the city if the building ever stops being used for library purposes.
Dayton Mayor Craig George says that even though the city government's tax revenues will be reduced as a result of annexation, the City will still be ahead financially. "The city will see a reduction of about $52,000 in tax revenues," as a result of annexation, he says. "But our costs to operate the library are considerably more than that."
The City of Dayton currently pays a contract fee of nearly $60,000 annually to the CCRLD to provide library services to city residents. In addition, the city is responsible for all maintenance and repairs for the building, and for capital improvements. George estimates the overall cost of the library to the city now to be around $65,000 per year.
According to Miller, the total statutory rate allowed by Washington State law for tax collection by cities annexed into fire and/or library districts is $3.60. (Dayton was annexed into Fire District 3 earlier this decade.) So the tax levy rate for the City would be the $3.60, less the fire district levy and the library district levy. Based on the CCRLD's current levy rate of $0.435 per thousand dollar valuation, and a total city assessed valuation in 2009 of $119,197,326, property tax funds received by the City would be reduced by $52,408.
"The City is very much in favor of Annexation," says Mayor George. "We expect annexation will save us around $13,000 a year. This is money we can put toward fixing streets."
Tanya Patton, Chair of the CCRLD Board of Trustees, says the board feels that annexation is essential for stable funding and efficient management of the library. "Our contract with the City is only as secure as next year's projected City income and budget priorities," she says. "The Library District has just one budget priority. That's library service that benefits the entire community."
Ballots for the Primary Election will be mailed on July 29th, and must be postmarked or delivered to the Columbia County Court House no later than August 18th.