Valley seeks library contract

The Spokane Valley City Council formally instructed its staff to negotiate a contract with the Spokane County Library District for services next year.

But, in a 6-1 vote, the council chose to base the contract amount on “usage” rather than on property values.

The council opened the 2005 library contract up to competition this year. Last week, it said it preferred the district over a private company.

In its proposal, the district said it could provide services for about $2.27 million next year. It based that on multiplying the expected value of property in Spokane Valley by the library levy rate of 50 cents per $1,000 – the same way the district charges citizens outside the city for the same services.

For the 2004 contract, the city successfully negotiated a contract with the district based on usage, or the amount it costs to provide library services for just Spokane Valley residents. The council wants the future contract to be based on the same method.

That frustrated more than a dozen library supporters at the meeting. They wondered why the city asked the district to submit a proposal when it already knew the cost method it wanted to follow.

Councilman Mike Flanigan, the sole “no” vote, had similar concerns in council chambers.

“I think the library district gave us a very fair offer,” he told council members before the vote. “Now we’re back to where we were before the (request for proposals).”

Other council members said it was their responsibility to get the most bang for their buck for taxpayers. In regard to library services, few citizens, if any, have directly argued for that in public meetings during the last several months.