Scappoose Public Library District Levy Frequently Asked Questions

What is the proposed Measure? How would this levy impact a property owner’s taxes?

If passed, the Measure would authorize a new property tax that would cost property owners $0.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value each year for five years. This levy would run from July 2026 through June 2031.

The owner of a home assessed at $350,000 would pay about $2.92 per month or $35 per year. A breakdown of how the proposed tax would impact this sample property owner’s taxes through June 2031 has been provided at the bottom of this document under “Breakdown of the cost of this proposed tax”.

Every property owner can find the assessed value for their property on their property tax statement. The County Assessor informs us that the average assessed value of a property in the library district is $277,366.

How does the Library currently receive funding?

Since 1997, the Library District has had a permanent tax rate of $0.2536 per $1,000 of assessed property value to fund operations and activities.

Until now, the Library District has not referred a Measure that would authorize additional tax revenue.

The Library staff has been working to fund an increasing amount of its budget through grants, gifts, and sponsorships, but these resources are declining.

Why has this Measure been referred to the ballot now?

Costs are now beyond what the Library can afford with its permanent tax rate.

An Oregon law - Measure 50 - froze the Library’s permanent tax rate back in 1997. Because it cannot increase its permanent tax rate, this temporary five-year levy is now necessary to maintain the Library’s current level of operations.

Scappoose Library District has the third lowest tax rate among Oregon library districts.

How much money would this levy raise if passed?

This levy would raise about $161,000 in the first year and about $800,000 over its five-year span.

What is meant by “Library District”?

The Scappoose Public Library District is an independent library district serving over 12,000 community members of all ages. The Library District includes Scappoose and areas outside the city limits.

Formerly the Scappoose City Library, the Library District was created in 1986 after the Scappoose City Council voted to stop funding the City Library. Since then, the Library has maintained its own budget and does not receive operational funds from the City of Scappoose or Columbia County.

The Board of Directors of the Scappoose Public Library voted its approval for the Library District to seek this temporary levy at its monthly public meeting in June 2025.

What level of service does the Library currently provide for the community?

The Scappoose Public Library is a community hub and resource for children, teens, and adults of all ages.

Last year, the Library circulated over 100,000 items to more than 6,900 registered borrowers. Circulation has nearly doubled in the past eight years. The Scappoose Public Library is the highest circulation library in Columbia County.

The Scappoose Public Library also offers more activities and programs for children and adults than any other library in our county. The Library hosted over 18,000 participants at in-person events in 2025. More than 700 children participated in the 2025 Summer Reading program.

What would this proposed levy accomplish for the Library?

If passed, this temporary five-year levy would help maintain the Library’s current level of services including but not limited to:

Access to books, materials, and electronic formats for everyone in the community
An expanded collection of electronic books and audiobooks
Children’s reading events and after-school activities
Two children’s story times per week
Over 25 programs per month for families and adults
Retention of library staff
51 open hours per week
Public computers and low-cost printing
24/7 Wi-Fi
A low-cost public meeting room

What would happen if the proposed levy is not passed by voters?

If the levy does not pass, library services would not be provided as proposed. Property taxes would not be increased.

When is Election Day? When will ballots be mailed out?

Election Day is May 19, 2026. Ballots must be in a ballot box or at the County Elections Office by 8 p.m. on May 19.

Ballots will be mailed out starting on April 29.

The Columbia County Elections Officer says it is likely that Voters Pamphlets will be mailed out April 20-25.

Who will have the opportunity to vote on this ballot measure?

Just over 10,000 voters reside within the Scappoose Public Library District. Every registered voter in the Library District will have the opportunity to vote on this levy if they receive a ballot.

Voters can check with the County Elections Office to verify a correct mailing address. Ballots cannot be forwarded by the postal service, so your mailing address must remain current to receive a ballot. If you do not receive a ballot in the mail by May 5, call Columbia County Elections at (503) 397-7214.

How do I register to vote and when is the last day to register?

The last day to register to vote in this election is April 28. Visit www.columbiacountyor.gov/voter-registration to find out if you are registered or to update your registration.

If you need to register to vote, you can do that online, by mail with the voter registration form, or in-person at the Columbia County Elections Department in St. Helens.

How can I find out more about the Scappoose Public Library’s budget?

The budget documents are public records and are available on the Library’s website under the “About Us” tab.

Who runs the Library?

The Executive Director of the Scappoose Public Library is Jeff Weiss, who was hired in 2017. His bio is available on the Library website under the “Levy” tab. He is the Library’s only full-time employee. The Library is also staffed by 6 part-time employees.

What kind of financial oversight does the Library have?

The Scappoose Public Library District is an independent special district, so it is overseen by a publicly elected board of five directors. By law, their meetings are open to the public. During the budget approval process, five other district residents are selected to participate in budget oversight. The Library is also audited annually. Audits are public records and are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

Do you have a website? How do I find more information?

For more information, please visit www.scappooselibrary.org/levy. You can also talk to any member of the Library staff.

Breakdown of the cost of this proposed tax:

Let’s use a property with a $350,000 assessed (not market) value as our sample.

A – Permanent Tax Rate

This sample property owner has been paying 1997’s permanent tax rate of $0.2536 per $1000 of assessed property value. This sample property is assessed at $350,000, so to find that permanent tax rate, we multiply .2536 by 350.

.2536 x 350 = $88.76 per year.
This works out to about $7.40 per month for this sample property owner.

B – Proposed 5-year Levy Increase

If Measure 5-308 passes, this five-year levy would add $0.10 per $1000 of assessed property value to that permanent tax rate each year for five years. To find the five-year levy rate on this sample property assessed at $350,000, we multiply .10 by 350.

.10 x 350 = $35 per year for five years.
This works out to about $2.92 per month for this sample property owner.

A + B = C

To find the total yearly tax rate for this sample property for the next five years, we add these two amounts together, the permanent tax rate of $88.76 per year + this five-year levy of $35 per year.

$88.76 + $35 = $123.76 per year for five years.
This works out to about $10.31 per month for this sample property owner if Measure 5-308 passes.

To find the assessed value of your own property, look at your property tax statement. The assessed value is NOT the same as the property’s market value.

This information was reviewed by the Oregon Elections Division for compliance with ORS 260.432.