Board approves preliminary proposals for five‑year library and public‑safety levies

WASHINGTON COUNTY — The Board of Commissioners approved preliminary proposals on Thursday to refer two five-year local option replacement levies to the ballot: a Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) replacement levy and a county public‑safety replacement levy. The board voted unanimously to advance draft ballot titles and explanatory statements to the next steps in the levy process.

Assistant County Administrator Erin Calvert and WCCLS Manager Lisa Tattersall presented the proposals and a development timeline. Tattersall described libraries as a cooperative system that links county, nine cities and three nonprofit partners, and said the current 22¢ per $1,000 assessed-value library levy (expiring June 2026) would be replaced with a proposed 37¢ levy if voters approve the measure. Staff estimated the five-year revenue at about $188.9 million and calculated the first-year cost to an average homeowner at roughly $129 annually (about $10.75 per month); the incremental annual cost over the current levy would be about $54 per year (approximately $4.55 per month).

The public-safety levy proposal would replace the current 47¢ per $1,000 levy with a proposed 66¢ rate over five years. Staff estimated five-year revenue for the public-safety levy at roughly $329 million and first-year revenue at about $60 million; they estimated the first-year cost to the average homeowner at about $230 (roughly $19.17 per month) and an annual increase over today’s levy at about $89.90 (about $7.45 per month).

Staff framed the public-safety proposal as supporting multiple departments and services — sheriff’s office, district attorney, community corrections and juvenile services — and said the levy aims to stabilize core services, address increased workloads and respond to substance-use and jail-capacity issues. Staff emphasized interdependence across the public-safety system and noted the levy is intended to fund current service levels and selected enhancements.

Calvert outlined next steps: the board will consider draft ballot titles and explanatory statements at its June 3 meeting; EMC Research will conduct a third wave of voter surveys in July; staff will return in August with survey results and proposed ballot language, and the August 15 filing deadline was identified as the date after which political restrictions will apply to staff. The measures are being advanced as preliminary proposals only; final ballot titles and explanatory statements will return for board approval later in the summer.

OUTCOME: Motion to approve preliminary levy proposals for WCCLS (proposed 37¢ per $1,000) and the public-safety replacement levy (proposed 66¢ per $1,000) — passed unanimously, 5–0. Staff will return with draft ballot titles and explanatory statements and the results of further polling.