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Proponents of an initiative to fund a library and community center in Liberty Lake were feeling less than super on Tuesday night.
Requiring a supermajority – or at least 60 percent – of the vote for approval, a $9.8 million bond had only gained about 38 percent of the ballot, with over 61 percent opposing the proposal.
Although the vote won’t be certified until May 7, Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton said Tuesday’s returns seemed to indicate the direction of the decision.
“This is a fairly wide margin,” Dalton said.
Nearly 47 percent of the 3,390 ballots had been returned by April 22, Dalton said. A total of 1,559 were counted by the end of the day with 961 voting against the issue and 598 expressing support.
The proposition would have increased property tax by 57 cents for each $1,000 of assessed value over the next 20 years to raise money for a 37,400-square-foot library and community center that supporters said would provide a civic focal point the city has been lacking. The cost would have translated into about $114 a year on a home valued at $200,000.
“It’s disappointing,” said Liberty Lake Council Member Judi Owens. “But I still think we have a lot of folks who believe in the library and having a community center. I think we need to continue to support that.”
Opponents of the project questioned the city’s break from the Spokane County Library District, a move that took place when Liberty Lake formed its own municipal library in 2002. Others argued that the city could save money by utilizing existing building space.
The Liberty Lake City Council passed Ordinance No. 167 in late February, approving the bond vote for the April 22 ballot. The council agreed at the time that any additional costs accrued beyond the $9.8 million would be covered by the city’s general fund.
Although a small group of citizen advocates – including former Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson – rallied support for the vote by putting up yard signs and making phone calls, some are now wondering if the issue should have been placed on a later ballot, allowing more time to generate community awareness.
“The volunteers did their best to educate the public, but there wasn’t enough time to articulate the value of what we were proposing,” said Liberty Lake Council Member Patrick Jenkins.
Others point to a misunderstanding that the funds would have gone expressly to build a library. Van Orman was one of many to emphasize the building as “a community gathering place” similar to CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point in Spokane Valley.
Some citizens expressed concern that the financial responsibility for the building would fall upon those living in city limits while those outside Liberty Lake would not be required to pay additional property tax.
While Liberty Lake has had a number of successful capital projects since incorporation in 2001 – including a pedestrian bridge and a renovated golf course – the city of 7,500 has never conducted a vote for funding purposes until this month. Liberty Lake has set aside a 6.4-acre of land as the site of a new municipal campus – city leader have slated the library and community center as the cornerstone of the development.
Jenkins said the City Council may discuss options such as leasing a building to house the library, though no detailed discussions have yet taken place. Owens added that the educational and social value of such a project – whether it’s a new building or an existing structure – should not be underestimated.
“I think the discussion needs to continue,” she said. “This is something that would benefit the community.”
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By
Craig Howard
