Central Skagit Library director tells Sedro‑Woolley council the district is efficient but facing a planned deficit; levy discussion underway

Dan Owen, director of the Central Skagit Rural Partial County Library District, presented an overview of the library’s operations, budget and outreach to the Sedro‑Woolley City Council on Feb. 11.

"I want to know what you guys are getting for your investment in Central Skagit Library," Owen said, introducing slides that reviewed the district’s history, service area and finances.

Owen told the council the district’s official 2025 operating budget is just under $1.5 million and that about 65% of spending goes to staff wages and benefits. He said material spending is roughly 12% of the budget — above the 10% benchmark often cited for public libraries — and that utilities are relatively low for the nearly 13,000‑square‑foot building. The district ran an approximately $150,000 planned deficit in 2025, which Owen characterized as part of a reserve‑funding plan.

The presentation included usage and program details: the district serves a roughly 31,420‑person service area (2025 estimate), with Sedro‑Woolley residents comprising about 43% of the population and about 49% of active library cardholders. Owen highlighted adult programs, weekly teen activities and partnerships such as Job Corps, local senior centers and a regional library consortium that expands the shared collection to about 120,000 items.

Council members focused on the city’s financial contribution and the library’s capital obligations. Councilman Henderson asked whether Sedro‑Woolley’s operating payment (about $121,000) and a separate capital payment are the result of the 2017 interlocal agreement. Owen and staff explained that the city issued bonds to help fund the library’s construction; levy revenue at the district rate is applied to city property values, the city subtracts bond payments and forwards the remainder to the district. Owen said the bond payments are on the order of the mid‑hundreds of thousands and that the city’s total commitment for operating plus capital support was presented to the council as roughly $470,000 (the transcript contains slightly different cited figures at different points; the precise annual capital amount paid to the district was not recorded in a single, unambiguous line in the meeting transcript).

Owen described the district’s revenue mix: roughly 75% of operating revenue comes from property tax and the district also receives small amounts of timber revenue and interest income. He said the district’s levy rate was 25¢ per $1,000 of assessed value in 2025 and will be about 24¢ in 2026. "The board is actively discussing" whether to pursue a levy measure given the planned deficit, he said, but "has made no decisions."

Owen also previewed outreach plans, including hiring a bilingual outreach manager and deploying a library outreach vehicle to farmer’s markets and pop‑up locations across the district.

What’s next: council members asked staff for additional budget detail and background about the city’s historical payments. The library board, not the city council, will decide whether to pursue a levy; Owen said the board is discussing options. City staff and council will receive further materials and may follow up with questions at upcoming meetings.