Vote could put Spangle into SCLD

Spangle voters will decide March 11 whether to join the Spokane County Library District.

The ballot measure, requested by the Spangle City Council, requires only a simple majority to pass. If approved, the last area in the county without regular library service would be eliminated.

All the other cities in Spokane County either are part of the library district, or contract with it for service or operate their own libraries.

That has caused some awkward situations in the Liberty School District, which includes Spangle and Fairfield, according to library district Director Michael Wirt. Students from Fairfield have free access to district libraries and summer reading programs while students from Spangle must pay a fee.

The library district is supported by a tax of up to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, but tax-limiting initiatives have pushed the rate down to 45.3 cents this year.

The first installment of Spangle’s annual contribution to the district, estimated at $5,000, wouldn’t be paid until April 2009.

Nevertheless, Wirt said, district trustees have decided the city’s 275 residents may get their library cards as soon as it’s clear the annexation has been approved.

There is no plan to build a library in Spangle. Wirt said Spangle residents probably would use the Fairfield or Moran Prairie branches, but they would have access to any of the district’s libraries.

Residents also would gain access to Spokane libraries through the district’s interlocal agreement with the city.