I hope that you are all aware that the Feb. 9 election ballot contains the important Proposition 1, which will restore the King County Library System’s property tax levy rate.

Why is this important and what does it accomplish? This levy is not a bond and is not for buildings, but is for services and the people that provide them. KCLS is the third largest library system in the United States. Each year, the demand for services increases. These include items to be checked out, programs for children and teens, computers for use in the library and even classes for the unemployed to help them write a resumé and look for a job. This levy will allow KCLS to preserve these services — they have already cut $1.9 million out of the budget!

What will this cost me? This one-year levy lid lift will be collected in 2011 and will cost you an additional eight cents on each $1,000 of the assessed value of your home. That increase amounts to $24 on a $300,000 home or $32 on a $400,000 home. Have you priced a book lately? That is less than the cost of one hardback.

Libraries are an essential part of our neighborhood. If you haven’t visited one in a while, I invite you to stop in and look around to see what wonderful things take place every day.

I strongly urge you to vote “yes” on Prop. 1. For additional information, please log-on to www.kcls.org/prop1.

Penny Humphrey

President, Friends of the North Bend Library