In rebuttal of your article, “Annexation wins; let’s now move on” (Renton Reporter, March 5, 2010). The City of Renton was poised to begin making cuts; however you overlook one fact. The library budget was already, of necessity, fully funded. The city has to pay the amount of the library budget to KCLS as a management fee. And, the city must still use our tax dollars to maintain the facilities at the main and Highlands branches, because it owns them. So, not only do we still have to pay for the facilities, and pay our city property taxes, and fund the library budget (because those funds came out of our pockets) we now have to pay extra taxes to a board of appointees not responsible to voters, King County, or the citizens of Renton specifically. Also, you neglect to tell your readers that the agreement between the city and KCLS specifies that the monies owed by KCLS for the Benson Hill annexation are forgiven. In essence 85 percent of the annual library budget for 2011 (library budget is roughly $1.8 million) in lost revenue for the City. If the agreement between the city and KCLS has been amended to take care of these issues, by all means let the city and KCLS publish the full text of the agreement so that the citizens can see.
I still maintain that as a citizen and voter I was misled by the utility bill flier which didn’t present true costs or monies owed. Also not mentioned was the fact that KCLS is a special taxation district responsible to no one, apparently, except themselves. If there’s a department in the county or the government in Olympia that has ultimate responsibility over them, then let that be published too. I doubt it can.
By the way, KCLS now has a NEW levy base to work from and can increase the tax by the allowed 1 percent each year without voter consent, unless I read this part of Proposition 1 wrong: “This proposition would authorize the district to restore regular property tax levy rate to 50 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value for collection in 2011, and to increase the levy in each year thereafter as allowed by chapter 84.55 RCW.” If I’m wrong, then let KCLS explain it to me – now.
Beth Asher
Renton
