Black Diamond library needs voter support

As friends and patrons of the Black Diamond Library, we had to wait for more than a decade for a new library to be built in Black Diamond. Now that our community has enjoyed the benefits of our new library for more than a year, we do not wish to experience cuts in current library services or hours.

Our library is part of the King County Library System. We are limited each year to only a 1 percent increase in property taxes to pay for greater library operating costs. This is totally inadequate to cover the costs arising from 43 percent increased library usage by all of us since 2001.

Unless we vote to restore the property tax rate for our libraries, we will face a 10 to 15 percent budget cut across the King County Library System. This means cutting funding for books, computers and building maintenance and eventually library personnel and the hours the libraries are open.

As members of the Friends of the Black Diamond Library, we are asking everyone who has a library card and who can vote to join us on Feb. 9 in supporting Proposition 1 to restore the property tax rate to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value for collection in 2011.

A person who owns a $400,000 home would only have a tax increase for libraries of $32 next year. You can save that much by going to the library and borrowing a couple more books or DVDs next year instead of buying them.

Please contact Julie Brand from the King County Library at 425-369-3273 if you have more questions.

Friends of the Black Diamond Library

Bob Charles, president