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Commissioners vote to freeze SELCO library funding at 2026 level and request presentation
Summary
The board voted to freeze SELCO (regional library) funding at 2026 levels for the 2027 budget year and asked SELCO to present to the board on services and funding distribution; the motion carried after debate about precedent for other outside agencies.
Commissioner moved to freeze SELCO library funding at the 2026 level for the 2027 budget year and to invite a SELCO presentation to explain how funds are distributed. Supporters said the measure would "put it to rest" and allow staff and the board to focus on other budget issues; opponents said freezing funding before reviewing the full budget could set a precedent for prematurely committing to outside-agency allocations.
After debate, the motion to freeze funding at 2026 levels and to invite SELCO to present at the August 11 meeting carried. One commissioner said they supported hearing from SELCO but hesitated to commit to a dollar amount until the board had more context; others argued the motion would provide clarity and close a long-running public debate about library support.
Staff will schedule the SELCO presentation and record the funding freeze in the preliminary budget materials.
