Here at NCW Libraries, we are committed to good financial stewardship and to providing robust library services to rural communities across the 5 counties we serve.
As a public organization, transparency is critical to building trust with our community leaders and taxpayers. We are building out a webpage on our site that will house all the details that go into our tax structure, service eligibility, city partnerships, and more. For now, we wanted to share some broad information.
NCW Libraries is an Intercounty Rural Library District. We were formed in 1961 to serve Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, and Okanogan Counties.
What is an Intercounty Rural Library District?
Intercounty Rural Library Districts are defined by RCW 27.12.010 as “a municipal corporation organized to provide library service for all areas outside of incorporated cities and towns within two or more counties.”
What is an incorporated city or town?
Incorporation happens when residents of a set community, identified by specific boundaries, vote to incorporate. When a community incorporates, it means they will create a system of government with accountable public officials tasked with decision making. They will control local decisions through this government over public services, land use, community planning and city-level business regulations.
The Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) provides a helpful overview here or you can read the RCW 35.02 here.
What is an unincorporated area?
Residents that live anywhere in the county, outside the boundary of an incorporated city or town, live in unincorporated areas.
Who is eligible for NCW Library services?
All residents of unincorporated areas, in our 5-county service area, are eligible for NCW Library services. Additionally, any residents of incorporated towns or cities that choose to annex into or contract with NCW Libraries are eligible for service.
Who is not eligible for NCW Library Services?
Residents of any incorporated cities or towns that are not either annexed into or contracted with NCW Libraries do not receive library services. These residents have the option to purchase a fee card to access library services for $10/month or $120/year. However, fee cards do not provide access to our Mail Order Library or Interlibrary Loan services.
What does it mean to “annex into or contract with NCW Libraries?”
Annexation and contracting are the two pathways for incorporated cities and towns to choose to pay into the district and receive access to library services. Annexation of a city or town into NCW Libraries may be initiated by their legislative body with the approval of voters. A community can only de-annex by a vote of the people.
If an incorporated city or town is not annexed in, they may choose to contract with the district for library services. Local public officials can choose to terminate the contract with NCW Libraries without a vote of the people.
Residents of cities and towns that are either annexed into or contracted with NCW Libraries pay for library services at the same levy rate as residents of unincorporated areas and receive the same library services.
How is NCW Libraries funded?
95% of our revenue comes from property taxes. The remaining 5% comes from intergovernmental revenue, charges for services (printing, etc.), fine for lost or damaged materials, etc.
We are a Junior Taxing District of each county we serve and all residents of unincorporated areas within our district pay for library services through a levy on their property taxes. These residents have full access to library services and resources through our 30 library locations, website, Mail Order Library service, Community Bookmobile, Inter-Library Loan Service, etc.
Residents of cities or towns that have chosen to annex into or contract with NCW Libraries also pay for library services through a levy on their property taxes. Residents of cities or towns who are not annexed into or contracted with NCW Libraries do not pay for library services and they are not eligible for library services.
Who decides how much the levy is for library services?
They levy rate is calculated by county assessors in accordance with Washington State law, RCW 84.52.010. The levy rate can only be increased by a vote of the people. More information about how Washington State Property Tax and levy rate limits is available on the MSRC website.
The levy for library service paid by residents of unincorporated areas in the counties we serve is the same as the levy rate paid by residents of incorporated towns and cities that choose to annex into or contract with the library district. Residents of cities and towns that do not choose to annex into or contract with NCW Libraries do not pay a levy for the library and do not have access to services.
How does a community get a library building?
Partnership. NCW Libraries has a long history of community partnerships that make library buildings possible. It would be an insurmountable task, beyond the scope or capacity of NCW Libraries, to provide and maintain physical library buildings in every city or town in our 5-county district. Rural library services depend on local partnerships. Because of our community partnerships, we are able to have 30 library buildings across NCW.
These partnerships work through a contractual agreement with the communities who choose to provide a physical library building. The contracts clearly outline that communities will cover the cost of buildings, including maintenance and use, and NCW Libraries will provide everything else.
This type of partnership is industry practice for Intercounty Rural Library Districts. However, NCW Libraries is unique in that we also provide reimbursement to communities to offset their building maintenance and use costs. Most other Intercounty Rural Library Districts do not offer this added support.
How much does NCW Libraries reimburse communities that have a library building?
We are committed to rural library service. NCW Libraries provides a set reimbursement to communities that have a physical library building. This means we are covering our contractual obligations with each community and in addition, we are helping to offset the community’s contractual obligation to cover building maintenance costs.
The reimbursement rate is set by the NCW Libraries Board of Trustees according to what is possible within our broader budget. The Board is committed to sustainability and good stewardship.
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