King County Local Voters Pamphlet

Nov. 2, 2004 General and Special Elections

Town of Yarrow Point
Proposition No. 1

PROPOSED ANNEXATION TO RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT

Shall the Town of Yarrow Point, Washington, be annexed to and be part of the King County Rural Library District?

Yes
No

Explanatory Statement

The Town of Yarrow Point has not been served by any library since the early 1990's. On June 8, 2004 the Town Council passed Ordinance No. 536 authorizing an election for the citizens of Yarrow Point to determine whether or not the Town should be annexed to the King County Library District.

Approval of annexation by a majority vote would allow the citizens of the Town to have access to all services provided by the King County Library District.

Cost of annexation to the library system would be collected by a levy. The maximum amount of the levy would be $.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation on each property in the Town of Yarrow Point. The actual dollar amount paid by property owners would not affect the amount of property taxes collected by the Town. The levy amount would be listed as a line item on each property owner's tax statement.

Statement for

Why do we need a library?
Libraries enrich the life of a community and are the heart of a literate, democratic society. It has been over 10 years since we've had access to this valued community asset. A YES vote will restore library privileges to Yarrow Point citizens.

Is annexation necessary?
Library services were removed from our town in 1993 based on funding changes. A vote for Annexation is necessary to restore library services to Yarrow Point.

What about taxes?
The cost: an annual fixed rate based on assessed value (not market value) of your property, currently 49 cents/$1,000 assessed value, capped at 50 cents/$1,000-an $800,000 home pays $392/ year (most households pay $600+ per year for Cable TV). This tax rate is the same paid by all King County annexed cities, including Medina, Mercer Island, and Clyde Hill.

What do we get for our money?
KCLS is the third largest library system in the U.S. Bellevue Library is the flagship, with millions of books, DVD's, CD's, children's library, story hour, and more. Libraries promote vibrant communities. By joining, we not only reap the benefits for ourselves, but add value to our surrounding community as well.

Statement against

WHAT.AGAIN? YP has rejected annexation 4 times since 1991.

UNREASONABLE LIBRARY COST - Library checkout, using 2004 property values, would cost YP $258,000 (average homeowner over $640 / $250 per person) annually. Library taxes would exceed Police or Fire protection costs.

EXCESSIVE LIBRARY SPENDING - KCLS is aggressively expanding even as the Internet is supplanting library usage. The appointed (nonelected) KCLS Board sets spending and tax rates. KCLS has increased their property tax revenue by a greater percentage than any other King County taxing group for the past 10 years!

AVAILABLE ALTERNATIVES - All public libraries are required to provide in-house use to everyone. Bellevue Schools have student oriented libraries. Seattle and U. of W. Library cards are available at $55/$50. The Internet, now our most important reference resource, provides 24hr worldwide data access. Save money, add to your personal library, buy books rather than borrow. Voting NO will save Yarrow Point over $1 million every 4 years. Annexation is not just a vote to tax your family, it commits everyone on YP to this continuously increasing tax burden for years to come. A NO vote is not against libraries it is against unreasonable taxation.

Rebuttal of statement for

YES, AGAIN! The last vote was 10 years ago. 183 homes have since changed ownership.

Other vital town services will NOT be impacted.

We will be taxed less than other cities because we don't pay for the recent bond approval.

The tax rate is capped by law at $.50/$1,000 of assessed value. Internet has enhanced the library, not replaced it! Vote YES for the privilege and responsibility of being part of the greater community.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Richard Smith, Suzanne Sievert, Kathy Smith

Rebuttal of statement against

"Funding changes" is a euphemism. KCLS service ended when YP refused a cost that went from $15,000 to $100,000. Current cost $258,000.

KCLS levy rate is not capped at .50/$1000. Bond issues lift this lid. In 1999 levy rates totaled $.5912.

The democratic thing about cable TV is that if you don't want it you aren't forced to pay for it.

Yarrow and Hunts Point have prospered without library affiliation for many years. Vote NO!

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Grahame Ross, Arlys Gale, Larry Coleman

Complete Text of Resolution

KING COUNTY
Signature Report
August 16, 2004
Ordinance 14972

Proposed No. 2004-0367.1 Sponsors Patterson

AN ORDINANCE establishing November 2, 2004, as the date of a special election on the question of annexation of the town of Yarrow Point into the King County rural library district and appointing a committee to write the voters’ pamphlet statement for the November 2, 2004, special election.

STATEMENT OF FACTS:
The town of Yarrow Point, Washington, by the town of Yarrow Point Ordinance 536, has initiated the proposed annexation and expressed its intent to join the King County rural library district, finding that the public interest will be served thereby.
The town of Yarrow Point Ordinance 536 satisfies RCW 27.12.010(5) and 27.12.360 and requests the calling of a special election to be held among the qualified voters in the town.
The board of trustees of the King County rural library district by Resolution No. 2004-06 has concurred with the proposal in accordance with RCW 27.12.360.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

SECTION 1. A special election shall be held on November 2, 2004, in accordance with RCW 29A.04.320 and 27.12.370 within the town of Yarrow Point, the territory of the proposed annexation, for the purpose of submitting the question of annexation of the town of Yarrow Point into the King County rural library district.
SECTION 2. Pursuant to RCW 29A.04.320 and 27.12.370, it is hereby found that an emergency exists for the consideration by the electors of the proposed annexation. The King County manager of the records, elections and licensing services division is hereby requested to assume jurisdiction to call and conduct a special election and submit to the registered voters within the subject area the proposition as set forth in section 2 of this ordinance. The clerk of the council is hereby authorized and directed to transmit said proposition to the manager of records and elections in substantially the below form, with such additions, deletions or modifications in the ballot title as may be required for the proposition by the King County prosecuting attorney. Notice of the elections shall be published as required by law.
The ballot proposition shall be in substantially the following form in accordance with RCW 27.12.370:
PROPOSITION 1: “Shall the town of Yarrow Point, Washington, be annexed to and be part of the King County Rural Library District?
YES [ ]
NO [ ]”

SECTION 3. The boundaries of the territory proposed for annexation are hereby described in District Resolution 2004-06 as contained in Attachment A to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. The manager of the records, elections, and licensing services division is hereby authorized and requested to prepare and distribute a local voters’ pamphlet, pursuant to K.C.C. 1.10.010, for the special election called for in this ordinance, the cost of the pamphlet to be included as part of the special election.
SECTION 5. RCW 29A.32.280 provides that for each measure from a jurisdiction that is included in a local voters’ pamphlet, the legislative authority of that jurisdiction shall formally appoint a committee to prepare arguments advocating voter approval of the measure and a committee to prepare arguments advocating voter rejection of the measure.
SECTION 6. Pursuant to RCW 29A.32.280, the following individuals are appointed to serve on the voters’ pamphlet committees, each committee to write a statement for or against the proposed annexation ballot measure:

ATTACHMENT A

KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
RESOLUTION 2004-06
JUNE 30, 2004

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT CONCURRING, SUBJECT TO CONDITION, WITH THE ANNEXATION OF THE TOWN OF YARROW POINT INTO THE KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT.

WHEREAS the Town of Yarrow Point has passed an ordinance, which initiates the process for a special election to determine whether Yarrow Point shall be annexed into the King County Rural Library District; and
WHEREAS RCW 27.12 provides a process for the annexation of cities and towns into rural library districts, and
WHEREAS the Board of Trustees believes that the annexation would be in the best interest of all involved, and
WHEREAS, the several steps to be taken to meet the boundary change requirements necessitate the taking of this action by the Library District.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Trustees of the King County Rural Library District that the Board of Trustees of the King County Rural Library District does hereby concur with the Town of Yarrow Point in its intent to annex to the King County Rural Library District.

ADOPTED by the Board of Trustees of the King County Rural Library District at an open, public, regular meeting thereof, notice of which was given to the extent required by law, held this 30th day of June 2004.

________________________ _________________________
Richard Eadie, President (signed) Wai-Fong Lee, Secretary (signed)

________________________ _________________________
Charlotte Spitzer, Trustee (not signed) LeRoy McCullough, Trustee (signed)

ATTACHMENT B

TOWN OF YARROW POINT
ORDINANCE NO. 536

AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF YARROW POINT, WASHINGTON DECLARING THE TOWN’S INTENT TO JOIN AND BE ANNEXED TO THE KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT; REQUESTING THE CONCURRENCE OF THE LIBRARY DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES; AND REQUESTING THE KING COUNTY COUNCIL TO PLACE ON THE NOVEMBER 2004 ELECTION BALLOT THE PROPOSITION OF WHETHER THE TOWN OF YARROW POINT SHOULD BE ANNEXED TO THE LIBRARY DISTRICT.

WHEREAS, RCW 35.02.130 authorizes the Town Council of the Town of Yarrow Point to submit a ballot proposition to the voters of the Town to authorize annexation of the Town by a library district; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to RCW 27.12.360 the process of annexation is initiated by an ordinance of the Town Council stating the Town’s intent to join the library district and finding that the public interest will be served thereby; and

WHEREAS, as the Town has no Town Library Board, the State Librarian shall be notified of this proposed ordinance pursuant to RCW 27.12.360; and

WHEREAS, if the library district concurs in the annexation, notification thereof shall be transmitted to the King County Council which shall then call an special election to be held in the Town at the time and in the manner provided in RCW 27.12.370;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF YARROW POINT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. Declaration of Intent and Finding. The Town of Yarrow Point hereby declares its intent to join and be annexed to the King County Rural Library District. Having reviewed the options for providing library service to the residents of the Town, the Town Council finds that the public interest will best be served by annexation of the Town to the Library District.
Section 2. Request for Concurrence of Library District. Pursuant to RCW 27.12.360, the Town Council requests that the Board of Trustees of the King County Rural Library District concur in the proposed annexation of the Town to the Library District. The Town Clerk is authorized and requested to forward a certified copy of this ordinance to the Board of Trustees of the Library District and to the State Librarian.
Section 3. Transmittal to County Council and Request for Special Election. Pursuant to RCW 27.12.360 and RCW 27.12.370, if the Board of Trustees of the King County Rural Library District concurs in the annexation, the Town Clerk is authorized and requested to notify, and to send a certified copy of this ordinance and a copy of the Library District’s concurrence, to the King County Council. The King County Council is requested to call by resolution an election to be held in the Town of Yarrow Point on November 2, 2004, (the General Election Ballot), for the purpose of submitting to the qualified voters of the Town the proposition of whether the Town should annex to the King County Rural Library District. The King County Council is also requested to give notice of the election as provided in RCW 29.27.080. The proposition to be submitted at the special election shall be in the form of a ballot title as follows:

PROPOSITION

ANNEXATION OF THE TOWN OF YARROW POINT
TO THE KING COUNTY RURAL LIBRARY DISTRICT

Shall the Town of Yarrow Point be annexed to and be a part of the King County Rural Library District?
YES…………………………………………………………____

NO………………………………………………………….____

Section 4. Annexation. If a majority of persons voting on the annexation proposition vote in favor of annexation, then the Town of Yarrow Point shall be annexed to and constitute a part of the King County Rural Library District effective immediately upon certification of the election results.
Section 5. Severability. Should any section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance, or its application to any person or circumstance, be declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid for any reason, or should any portion of this Ordinance be pre-empted by state or federal law or regulation, such decision or pre-emption shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance or its application to other persons or circumstances.
Section 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be published in the official newspaper of the Town and shall take effect and be in full force five (5) days after the date of publication.

PASSED by the Town Council of the Town of Yarrow Point on this 8th day of June 2004.

__________________________
Jeanne R. Berry, Mayor (signed)

Attest/Authenticated Approved as to Form:

_______________________ ___________________________
Larry Howard, Town Clerk (signed) Wayne Stewart, Town Attorney (signed)

Updated: Oct. 11, 2004

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