City of Sedro-Woolley Annexation Ballot Measure 2026
The November 3, 2026 general election will include a ballot measure proposing that the City of Sedro-Woolley formally annex into the Central Skagit Library District. If a majority of Sedro-Woolley voters approve the measure, Sedro-Woolley will become a legal part of the Central Skagit Library District.
Currently, the City of Sedro-Woolley makes an annual payment to the Central Skagit Library District so that Sedro-Woolley residents can access library services. If the annexation measure passes, the City will reduce the amount of taxes it collects from City residents, and City residents will pay taxes directly to the Library District. Additionally, the voters of Sedro-Woolley will be able to vote on any Library District-related ballot measures in the future.
At their July 22 meeting, the Sedro-Woolley City Council approved placing this measure on the November ballot, and the Central Skagit Library Board of Trustees approved the necessary concurrence resolution at their meeting on July 23.
FAQ
Wait, isn't Sedro-Woolley already part of the Central Skagit Library?
Central Skagit Library absolutely considers Sedro-Woolley part of the library family and loves serving City residents. But legally, Sedro-Woolley is not part of the official Central Skagit Library District. When library districts are created in Washington state, they automatically exclude incorporated areas. As an incorporated city, Sedro-Woolley was not part of the Library District when it was first created (in 2012) and will not be part of the Library District until it officially votes to join.
November 2026 will be the first time Sedro-Woolley voters have considered an annexation measure.
So what's the existing relationship between Sedro-Woolley and Central Skagit Library?
Currently, the Central Skagit Library District provides library services to the residents of Sedro-Woolley under the terms of three interlocal agreements (also known as a contract for services), which were signed in 2017. The City makes an annual payment to Central Skagit Library for those library services. The amount of that payment is determined by the Library District’s official levy rate, which is the property tax rate levied on all property that is within the legal boundaries of the Library District. This ensures that the City of Sedro-Woolley and the residents living within the Library District’s legal boundaries pay the same amount.
What are the official legal boundaries of the current Central Skagit Library District?
The current legal boundaries of the Central Skagit Library District encompass the area served by the Sedro-Woolley School District, with the exception of the City of Sedro-Woolley and the towns of Lyman and Hamilton.
You can see the official boundaries for all Skagit County library districts on the Skagit County iMap.
Does annexation help or hurt library funding?
The annexation ballot measure does not make any difference to library funding. Under the current interlocal agreements, the City of Sedro-Woolley’s payment for library services to the Library District is directly tied to the Library District’s levy rate. Therefore, Central Skagit Library will receive the same amount of funding regardless of whether the annexation ballot measure succeeds or fails.
How does this affect taxpayers? Does the City of Sedro-Woolley have any information about this?
Great question! The Sedro-Woolley City Council has committed to minimizing the impact on taxpayers, and the City has a dedicated page with this information and much more.
What happens if the annexation measure succeeds?
Sedro-Woolley will become a legal part of the Central Skagit Library District on January 1, 2027, and the Central Skagit Library will serve City residents in perpetuity. Sedro-Woolley voters will be eligible to vote on all Central Skagit Library District ballot measures.
The City of Sedro-Woolley will continue making a library services payment to the Library District in 2027, as the Library District will not start receiving tax revenue directly from Sedro-Woolley residents until 2028. In 2028, when the Library District begins receiving tax revenue directly, the City will stop making the annual library services payment to the Library District. This is outlined in the City and Library’s pre-annexation agreement.
What happens if the annexation measure fails?
The City of Sedro-Woolley will continue to make payments for library services to the Central Skagit Library District under the terms of the current interlocal agreements, and Sedro-Woolley residents will remain eligible for library cards at no cost. The current interlocal agreements do not expire until 2039. However, Sedro-Woolley residents will not be eligible to vote in any Library District ballot measures.
Does this have something to do with a levy lid lift?
No, it does not.
It is possible that the Central Skagit Library Board of Trustees will place a levy lid lift measure on the ballot in the future, but no decisions have been made at this time. The annexation ballot measure does not affect the Library District’s levy rate now or in the future.
It is true that if the Library Board of Trustees place a levy lid lift on the ballot in the future, Sedro-Woolley residents will only be able to vote on that measure if an annexation measure has passed and Sedro-Woolley is legally part of the Library District.
For 2026, Central Skagit Library’s current levy rate is 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, less than half the maximum legal amount.
What the heck is the Central Skagit Rural Partial-County Library District?
Another great question! That is our long, cumbersome, and slightly awkward legal name. We prefer to go by “Central Skagit Library District” or, even better, “Central Skagit Library”.
Tell me more about the history!
Absolutely! The Central Skagit Library District was approved by voters in 2012. At that time, the City of Sedro-Woolley operated the Sedro-Woolley Public Library, a City department, and the Central Skagit Library District served only areas outside the City of Sedro-Woolley and outside the towns of Lyman and Hamilton.
In 2017, under the terms of the interlocal agreements approved by the City Council and the Library Board of Trustees, the Central Skagit Library District took over operations of the Sedro-Woolley Public Library. City library employees became Library District employees, and the City began making an annual library services payment to the Library District to cover the cost of providing library services to City residents. The City also provided the library building to the District at no cost (that building is now the City’s recreation center).
In 2019, the City and Library District began jointly constructing a new library building, which opened in 2021. This building was paid for by a mix of Library District funds, City funds, Washington state grants, and other grants and donations. The majority of funding came from $6 million in bonds issued by the City of Sedro-Woolley. Every year, the Library District reimburses the City for the annual bond payments and will continue doing so until the bonds are paid off in 2039.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to encourage voters to vote for or against any ballot measure. Central Skagit Library facilities (including staff time) may not be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any person to any office or for the promotion of or opposition to any ballot proposition.
More questions? Contact Library Director Dan Owens, dan@centralskagitlibrary.org