Sno‑Isle Libraries lays out 2026 priorities, warns services would be cut if levy lift fails

Eric Howard, executive director of Sno‑Isle Libraries, told the Lynnwood City Council on April 15 that the library district plans to complete a strategic plan in 2026 and hire a data analyst to better track service use and reach underserved neighborhoods.

Howard said Sno‑Isle serves more than 800,000 people across 23 locations and now circulates more than 10,000,000 items annually. "We're actually creating more library cards now than we ever have before," he said, adding that the district has expanded outreach through bookmobiles that visit senior centers and day cares.

The board has voted to place a levy‑lift measure on the August ballot to restore the district’s levy rate to 47 cents, Howard said. He warned that if voters do not approve the levy lift the library would have to reduce hours, cut programs and shrink its collection. "If it doesn't pass, then that means we will have to reduce those hours," Howard said.

Mel Delaney, manager of the Lynnwood branch, described local use patterns and programming: in a six‑month span in 2025 patrons logged about 4,500 sessions on public computers at the branch, and the library hosts frequent story times, multilingual events and partnerships with Edmonds College for English‑language learners. Delaney said events such as a recent Pokemon Day drew roughly 400 visitors.

Councilors praised the services and pressed staff on safety, building upgrades and demographics. Howard said 91% of Sno‑Isle’s budget currently comes from property taxes but that the district has diversified revenue through grants (down from 99% reliance on property taxes a decade ago). He said the district has set aside roughly $200,000 to enhance children's areas in branches where the building owner permits improvements, and emphasized the district will not reduce service preemptively while waiting on voter direction.

The library presentation closed with staff offering to return with more metrics after the data analyst position is filled. The board‑approved levy lift will appear on the August 4 ballot if the pro/con committee and final procedures complete their work.