Public Would Pay More to Record Marriages, Births to Finance New State Archives Building

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Under a bill the House of Representatives approved Tuesday, a new state library-archives building in Tumwater would be paid for by an increase in fees county auditors charge the public for filing real estate transactions, marriages and births.

The House voted 92-5 to adopt HB 2015, which is the financing plan for the $108 million project. The bill adds a $2 fee on documents recorded by county auditors statewide. The fee would be eliminated after the building is paid for, Secretary of State Kim Wyman said.

The project would enable the Secretary of State's office to consolidate its operations in one location.

Currently, the office is divided among six leased facilities. The site for the new library-archives is adjacent to other state office buildings in Tumwater on what is known as the South Campus. Wyman has said the State Archives on the Capitol Campus and the Washington State Library in Tumwater outgrew their facilities several years ago.



The bill, sponsored by Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, moves to the Senate.

The proposed capital budget bill, which is pending in the Senate, includes $5 million for design work and project planning for the library-archives building.