Liberty Lake council directs staff to place advisory question on ballot for Town Square library and community center

The Liberty Lake City Council voted 4-2 on July 30 to direct city staff to place an advisory question on the November ballot asking whether the city should proceed with building a new Liberty Lake Library and Community Center at Town Square.

Mayor Mara Burton said the measure is meant to give the broadest possible public input when the council lacks a final, fully detailed project packet. "Having an advisory vote, one line on a ballot with a very limited amount of space to explain what the question is, is so much less effective than our public engagement process," Burton said, but added the vote would supply a snapshot of voter sentiment as the council moves into budget planning.

The advisory question must be filed with the county elections office by the close of business on Aug. 5, city staff told the council. Kyle, a city staff presenter, told the council the explanatory statement that appears in the voters pamphlet is limited to 75 words and the ballot title (subject matter) is limited to 10 words. City Attorney Sean said an advisory vote "is not a binding vote and is not the same as a ballot measure," and described practical differences the council would need to capture in the resolution and explanatory text.

Why it matters: Council members and residents who testified said the item will shape budgeting and fundraising choices. Supporters said a one-time advisory snapshot could reach thousands of voters who do not attend meetings or respond to surveys; opponents said the measure would be rushed, confusing and could mislead voters because many planning details and cost-breakdowns remain incomplete.

Discussion and public comment: More than a dozen residents urged caution about placing an advisory question on the ballot without finalized design, funding and cost-to-taxpayer details. Brad Hamlet, a library board trustee, said he believed "this meeting has been called unnecessarily," arguing that engagement tools the city already pays for should be used first. Kim Schmidt, who opposed the timing, called advisory votes "misleading, confusing, and costly" and traced their rise in Washington politics to past initiatives. Tom Solberg, a longtime library supporter, told the council, "I'm opposed to an advisory vote being placed on the November 6 ballot," and said he feared a rushed vote would set the project up to fail.

Proponents said the advisory approach offers the broadest engagement ahead of next year—s budget decisions. Council member Spencer, who supported placing the advisory question on the ballot, said the council lacks a full packet to bring a binding measure this year and that a November advisory could show whether thousands of voters support proceeding before the next budget cycle.

What the council approved and next steps: By separate 4-2 votes the council (1) approved directing staff to prepare an advisory vote for the November ballot; (2) adopted the 10-word ballot title language as "Advisory vote concerning new Liberty Lake Library and Community Center" for further drafting; (3) asked the city attorney to draft explanatory language and run proposed wording by the county elections office for acceptability; and (4) scheduled a special council meeting for 6 p.m. Monday to finalize the resolution and explanatory statement.

Officials said practical details remain to be resolved. County staff will accept nominations for the required pro and con committees (each committee prepares a short statement for the voters pamphlet); if the council does not appoint committees by the filing deadline, the auditor's office has authority to fill them. City staff estimated the local election printing and processing cost at roughly $5,000 (it could vary depending on other jurisdictions on the ballot). Presenters also noted the city pays about $13,000 a year for the Zen City engagement platform and urged using multiple outreach channels.

Financial range and fundraising: Council discussion repeatedly noted that project cost estimates are preliminary. Staff and council members referenced a planning range discussed in earlier meetings (roughly $12 million to $15 million, with $15 million cited several times in public remarks), but several council members and residents warned that no final construction contract or funding plan exists at this time. City staff said pledges, corporate sponsorships and grant pursuit are in progress but not finalized; one speaker noted a prospective $250,000 private donation and other sponsor conversations that had paused pending design clarity.

What the vote does and does not do: The advisory question is nonbinding. If voters express support, the council would still need to approve any funding plan, financing vehicle or bond measure. City Attorney Sean advised the council that the advisory question and any explanatory text should be neutral and factual; he will draft explanatory language for the council to review on Monday.

The council asked members to send proposed bullet points for the explanatory statement to the city attorney by the end of business Friday so the attorney can prepare language and seek guidance from the county elections office ahead of the Monday meeting. Rochelle, the city clerk, will publish the special meeting notice and coordinate filings.

The council's actions set the advisory question in motion but left open key decisions on design, precise cost, and funding mechanisms that would determine the project's tax impact and schedule.

Ending: The council will reconvene at 6 p.m. Monday to review the attorney's draft resolution and explanatory statement, consider any pro/con committee appointments, and determine final ballot language and filing. If the county elections office approves the resolution and wording, the advisory question will appear on the November ballot for Liberty Lake city voters.