Administrative costs for library are very high | www.scnews.com

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May 19, 2009

Opinion

Letters or guest editorials do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Stanwood/Camano NEWS or its staff. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, frequency, libel, and taste. All letters must be signed and include a telephone number to permit checking of details. The phone number is for internal use only, not publication. Letters should be typed, if possible, and delivered to the NEWS office, mailed to P.O. Box 999, Stanwood, WA 98292, or e-mailed to newsroom@scnews.com before noon Friday prior to Tuesday’s publication. If typing is impossible, please print neatly and avoid cursive. Letter writers are allowed four letters per calendar year.

Administrative costs for library are very high

Dear Editor:

The Sno-Isle Libraries want a levy increase, or they will reduce services and hours at our library. It seems that $0.31 per $1,000 of assessed value isn't enough.

Have you looked at Sno- Isle's 2009 budget (www.snoisle. org)? On page 13, you will find that the Sno-Isle Libraries paid their administrative team a total of $2,580,560, including benefits.

The 2009 budget lists a total of eight individuals with the title of "Director" and an "Administrative Assistant." Divided equally, that comes to an annual income of $286,728, for each. In comparison, Governor Gregoire takes home only $166,891.

Sno-Isle derives 97 percent of its income from the property tax levy. Simply put, our taxes maintain their lifestyles.

We're invited to a "community conversation" on Wed., May 28, at the Stanwood Library. This is an excellent opportunity for Ms. Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, Sno-Isle's library director, to provide full disclosure and make public the salaries of Sno-Isle's administrative team.

The taxpayers in Snohomish and Island counties can then decide if we want to give Sno-Isle Libraries $0.50 per $1,000 of the assessed values of our homes.

I think Sno-Isle should do what the rest of us must: adjust to live within our incomes. We can't tax our neighbors to pay our bills.
Robert Lowery
Mukilteo