Timberland regional manager warns of multi‑million dollar shortfall, free printing and programs to be cut

Muriel Wheatley, regional manager for Timberland Regional Library’s North Lewis and Oakville district, told the Shalala City Council on Feb. 23 that the library system faces a substantial budget shortfall that could materially affect services at the Chehalis branch.

"There’s almost a $2,000,000 decrease in our collection budget for the year," Wheatley said, and later described an initial Timberland estimate that the district is about $3,800,000 below where it needs to be at this juncture. She said the board is still finalizing decisions and that staffing impacts will be announced March 1.

Wheatley presented the library’s 2025 overview for Centralia and Chehalis, saying overall circulation remains steady even as patrons shift from physical materials to digital checkouts. She highlighted heavy use of in‑branch printing at Chehalis — "over a quarter million pages" checked in 2025 — and said the library serves many homeschool families and residents who rely on free printing for court documents and other filings.

On specific service changes, Wheatley said the district plans to reduce the monthly free printing credit for patrons from the current $44 (about 440 black‑and‑white pages) to $20 (about 200 pages) beginning March 1. "That is going to be an adjustment for a lot of people that are really maxing out those free printing dollars every month," she said, while noting the reduced level still compares favorably with many other Washington library systems.

Wheatley said Wi‑Fi service, largely funded through the federal E‑Rate program, was not expected to change. She also said programming funds from the district were cut in half and that local "friends of the library" groups will be relied on to help maintain summer programming and outreach events.

Councilmembers asked whether the shortfall was district‑wide or local; Wheatley said the shortfall is across Timberland, not only the local branch, and that the district must meet a beginning fund balance policy requiring 30% of the annual operating budget at the start of the year. She described the situation as "tricky" given a 1% property tax lid that limits annual revenue growth.

Wheatley urged residents to support the library by using its services and signing up for cards. "Demonstrated use is the number one way that you can support your local library system," she said.

Next steps: Wheatley said the district board will consider budget changes and staffing actions; the library expects to announce details around March 1. The council did not take any formal action at the Feb. 23 meeting.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A with Muriel Wheatley, regional manager, Timberland Regional Library (Feb. 23, 2026).