The $3 Million Question: Library Priorities on the Ballot

As library costs surge and usage declines, voters are being asked to decide what matters most

County Commissioner candidate Jake Seegers takes a hard look at the North Olympic Library System’s proposed $3 million tax increase and asks a question many residents are quietly starting to raise: Why is a shrinking user base costing more than ever, while core public safety remains stretched thin? With staffing up, usage down, and services expanding far beyond traditional library functions, April’s vote is shaping up to be less about libraries—and more about priorities.