And it won't pass. The only reason the operating levy passed was because it held the line on taxes. For the first time in more than a decade the levy wasn't increased. I even voted for it. The proposed library district seeks to increase the levy by 33%. It will drain tax revenue from schools and transit. The Multnomah County Library continues to be among the best funded libraries in the country- even with compression. The fact that they're seeking even more money in this economic environment is astounding.

I hope they don't put the Library District on the November ballot, but I am afraid one way or another it will get on the ballot. The F_iends of the Library have the leverage, and can easily roll Cogen and crew.

It is a bit of a loser for the County because Portland and Multnomah are increasingly up against property tax limits (because they tax and spend too much already). Multnomah county would have to transfer the 89 cent property tax rate revenues to this newly proposed District, plus the County will probably lose a couple of million dollars in property tax revenues as the hike in property tax rates for the Library District would push past property tax limits, taking a share out of other Multnomah property tax revenues.

The real battle in local area property taxation will come if the Portland Public Schools goes big again in relaunching its construction bond/tax, which may happen either this November or next May. I am wondering if PPS has a enough time to get it on this November's ballot now, because they don't have the re-launched construction plan down to the level of specifying which schools exactly get monies and what specific remodeling.

So save your political energies for PPS if you only have so much of these energies in you; and take a low key approach to the Library District. Tax compression dampens its impact although it will give rise to sneaky taxing and fee efforts by the city and county so as to attempt making up for lost property tax revenues. At the very least, the city and county violin players will get out in full force.

I doubt there is any message in the levy vote. It reminds me of the old magazine cover (I think from National Lampoon), featuring a cute dog with a gun to his head, and the headline says: "Buy the magazine or we'll shoot this dog."

Everyone voted for the library levy because of the usual contrived crisis: "Vote Yes on the levy or we'll shoot this library." But with the levy safely passed, why would supporters vote for a new permanent tax district that would likely cost them more money, could not be easily reversed, and would definitely harm other service districts?

I suspect a lot of library supporters will say nice things about it in public, then quietly vote no on their mail-in ballot.

Is this the same John Charles who has such a concern for public libraries that he puts scare quotes around free in "free public libraries."

http://cascadepolicy.org/news/2011/10/11/the-battle-of-the-book-worms-who-should-pay-for-“free”-public-libraries/

I suspect a lot of library supporters will say nice things about it in public, then quietly vote no on their mail-in ballot.

Good luck with that, pal. The library never loses an election.