Residents in the Sno-Isle Libraries district who live in the Everett area face a decision on their August ballot: restore the library levy to its 2018 rate or accept service cuts as the system projects a $4.3 million deficit by 2028.

Ballots for the August 4 primary were mailed by Snohomish County Elections on July 14, and should arrive in mailboxes by approximately July 20.

The Sno-Isle levy measure asks voters to raise the property tax rate from approximately $0.30 to $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed value. No organized opposition to the measure has been publicly identified.

Who votes on this

Sno-Isle Libraries serves Island and Snohomish counties but does not operate Everett's municipal library system. Everett-area residents who live within the Sno-Isle district — including those near the Mariner Library branch at 520 128th St. SW — will see this measure on their ballot. Voters unsure whether they're in the district can check their ballot at VoteWA.gov.

What the board decided

On March 23, the Sno-Isle board voted to place the levy restoration on the August ballot. The proposed $0.47 rate matches what voters approved in 2018. Since then, Washington's 1% property tax growth cap has eroded the rate to about $0.30 per $1,000 as assessed property values across the district climbed.

Executive Director Eric Howard said levy revenue funds operations at all 23 branches, including staffing for 394 full-time equivalent positions. The levy accounts for about 91% of the system's annual budget.

"Library funding does not stay the same," Howard said. "As the total value of property in the Library District increases, the tax rate drops so the district doesn't collect more than the allowed 1% increase."

The numbers

Without the restoration, Sno-Isle projects an operating deficit of $1.9 million in 2027, growing to $4.3 million by 2028, according to the district's levy materials.

The system recorded nearly 2.45 million visits across its 23 branches in 2024, according to district records, and had 516,489 registered members.

The 2018 levy lift passed by less than half a percentage point. The district has not publicly detailed what specific cuts would follow a failed vote.

How to vote

Voters who have not received a ballot by Monday, July 20 should call Snohomish County Elections at 425-388-3444.

Snohomish County has 37 official ballot drop boxes open 24 hours a day through 8 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4. A full list is at snoco.gov/elections.

Election officials recommend mailing ballots at least one week before August 4; voters mailing closer to the deadline should visit a post office and request a hand-stamped postmark.

The voter registration deadline is July 27, for online or mail registration. In-person registration is available at the Snohomish County Auditor's Office, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, through 8 p.m. on Election Night.