I want to remind the voters and the current Timberland Regional Library board of the waste of thousands of dollars eight years ago. The TRL board proposed a ballot measure to increase the tax rate from approximately 47 cents to 53 cents per $1,000 assessed value. This was a few years after the Salkum facility was complete. (Now do I hear talk of closing this showcase building down?)
Freda Wanta and I served on the Winlock TRL advisory board at that time at the behest of Cy Meyers, of Winlock. We pleaded with the head librarian not to run the measure, since, according to our sources in the community and county there was no support. It failed badly.
Librarian Jamie Allwine told us that “we just have to try.” Their failure to heed good, well-founded advice cost them (and the taxpayers) a loss of $150,000 to $170,000 — monies they were entrusted with. (Why have an advisory board if you don’t heed their advice?)
If the TRL board would have backed off eight years ago, look at the money they would still have in the coffers to mediate these closures and service reductions to Randle and other outlying Lewis County areas.
Talk about the waste of time and money — holding a meeting to address Randle, Toledo, Winlock and Salkum issues in far-off Ilwaco! Discussing their issues at a meeting two and a half counties away is counter to the very process of providing them service.
Intentional? Sounds like the TRL board doesn’t have the guts to face its constituents on its own turf. Maybe they haven’t been shepherding the public’s money as they should be? Sen. John Braun, Rep, Richard DeBolt, Rep. Ed Orcutt and Rep. James Walsh, where is the TRL Board’s oversight?
Larry Kearns
Toledo
