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Washington County officials brief Sherwood on proposed library levy, warn of service cuts if it fails
Summary
County staff told the Sherwood council that the proposed replacement WCCLS levy would be 37¢ per $1,000 assessed value (July 2026–June 2031), that the levy represents a substantial portion of library revenue and that failure would force cuts to hours, purchases and centralized services.
Washington County staff gave Sherwood city leaders a neutral, informational briefing on a proposed replacement local option levy to support the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS).
Marnie Kyle, an assistant county administrator who oversees libraries in the county, described the levy as a key revenue source linking 16 full‑service library locations and shared countywide services. "In fiscal year 2025, the local option levy represented 45% of WCCLS revenue," Kyle said, and explained how the system supplies a shared catalog, courier service and programming to over 600,000 residents.
The proposed replacement levy (to be presented to voters) would replace an expiring 22¢ levy with a fixed 37¢ per $1,000 of assessed value running from July 2026 through June 2031. Kyle gave an example: a typical homeowner with an assessed value of about $348,600 would pay an estimated $129 annually (about $10.75 per month), an increase of roughly $54 per year over the current levy. County staff said that, if the levy does not pass, the system would need to reduce open hours, book purchases, digital collections, courier deliveries and some central services that link libraries across the county.
Councilors pressed county staff on how levy dollars are allocated and whether the county could commit general fund support during the levy period. Staff said they could not make long‑term general fund guarantees and that the proposed levy increase is intended primarily to preserve existing services in the face of rising costs rather than to expand services. County presenters also described operational scale: the shared catalog holds about 1.5 million items, courier trucks delivered over 2.5 million items in FY23–24, and system checkouts exceeded 7.2 million in the most recent year cited.
Staff emphasized the levy is an essential revenue source for library operations and central support services and said the county will identify grants and other funding opportunities as the work progresses. Councilors and the county discussed timing and the risk of competing levies in May vs. November ballots; county staff said polling suggests November is the best chance for success.
Next steps: county staff will continue outreach and answer city questions; the levy would appear on the November ballot if approved by the county’s process.
