Mattawa considers new NCW Libraries contract

MATTAWA — The Mattawa City Council and NCW Libraries Executive Director Barbara Walters, attending via video conference, discussed renewing the city’s contract with NCW Libraries for the Mattawa Public Library during Thursday evening’s regular meeting.

According to Walters, the contract will expire at the end of the calendar year. Walters explained that the city owns the library facility and NCW Libraries, an intercounty rural library district comprised of five counties, is responsible for operations and staffing of that building. 

NCW Libraries currently reimburses the city at a rate of $3.75 per square foot for the utilities, maintenance and custodial services the city pays for, according to city staff. Walters said the rate is the same for all NCW Libraries branches. The 2024 rate is set at $4 per square foot, which Walters said would cover less than 50% of the facility costs, meaning the city will have to fund the remaining amount from its general fund. 

Walters said NCW Libraries’ expenses are outpacing its revenue, forcing NCW Libraries to stretch its budget and make strategic cuts. 

Council Member Antonio Acosta said NCW Libraries can increase its revenue through its levy.

“We've all got expenses, everything's going up,” Acosta said. “As a council member, I have to make sure that we spend taxpayers' money to the best of our ability. You’re taxing already for the library. You have the ability to go back out and increase your revenue … I don't think it's a far reach to ask to reevaluate the amount that we get for square footage.”

Walters explained that NCW Libraries cannot legally increase its levy amount by more than 1% without a levy lid lift. 

“So, as long as property taxes hold, our levy rate will continue to go down,” Walters said. “To increase our levy or increase our revenue, we would have to go out for a levy lid lift, and it would have to pass in all five counties. We know that's impossible.”

Acosta also said he believes NCW Libraries should cover janitorial costs, and asked Walters if it would consider doing so.
“I'm just gonna be honest with you,” Walters said. “The proposed rate is what the board approved and set forth because that's what we can budget for for all 28 of our locations. Again, I want to show such great empathy, that we feel it too, we feel the pinch, we feel it with even our own buildings … but we could never afford 30 locations, actually in total, if we had to pay the full janitorial and utilities on all of these locations. That's why these contracts were set to be as partial reimbursements, never full reimbursements.”

City Attorney Katherine Kenison expressed concern with the contract, particularly the fact that cities like Mattawa that are annexed into the library district receive the same contract for services that non-annexed cities do, yet non-annexed cities do not pay taxes to the library district.

“What is the benefit to our citizens of being annexed in? We're paying taxes and we're getting the same deal that cities who aren't annexed are getting,” Kenison said. “There should be a different calculation for the cities who are not annexed into the district because they're not providing any revenue to the district and yet they're getting the same reimbursement rate.”

Kenison said she would come back to the next meeting with more answers.

“Our citizens are paying taxes for a service that now our general fund is having to subsidize. So, I had the initial question of, ‘Is that an unconstitutional double tax on our citizens?’” she said. ”I also want to make sure that there is some benefit to our citizens in paying a library district tax. Because if there isn't, and we're getting the same deal as the cities who didn't annex, then maybe we just ask our voters to de-annex.”

Kenison said that many cities she represents have asked NCW Libraries for different reimbursement rates since it rarely covers the full costs of maintaining library facilities. She said that regardless, the city will have to renew the contract if they want library services for the upcoming year. City staff recommended the contract be two years instead of seven, which Walters said was fine.

“If they're not going to change their rates, I don't know how much leeway as a council we want to give. If we are extending it, I would only do one year, and that will get us time to get our ducks in a row and figure something else out,” Acosta said. “Personally, if they don't want to negotiate, then that's the end of it.”

The council will take action on the contract with NCW Libraries at its next regular meeting.

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Davis lives in Othello and covers Adams County, Othello, Warden and Mattawa.

    During Thursday evening’s regular meeting at Mattawa City Hall, pictured, the Mattawa City Council decided to push action on renewing their contract with NCW Libraries until the next scheduled meeting.