Ballots for the Nov. 7 General Election will be mailed out this week by Snohomish County and should be arriving in our mailboxes shortly.
The ballots will include races for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, state Senate and House, as well as judgeships, statewide initiates and county measures. It will also offer residents in the Arlington area a chance to make an investment in their communitys quality of life by voting in favor of a new Arlington library.
If passed, the proposition would authorize issuing up to $8.1 million in general obligation bonds to construct a new 20,000-square-foot library, which is nearly four times the size of the current library space.
While the existing library has served the community well for the past 25 years, it has been outgrown by a community which has more than doubled in size since it was built in 1981. In 1980 the Library Service Areas population was 12,000, in 2005 it had grown to 28,000 and by 2025 the population is expected to grow to 41,000. A new library is needed to serve the growing demands of this growing population.
Individually, the cost of the new library is relatively minor; collectively it represents a huge investment in our community. For the owner of a $200,000 home, the new library would cost approximately $36 per year. Thats about the same as one gallon of premium gas per month, or one latte per month, or a one-way commuter bus ticket for Community Transit per month a small price to pay for all the benefits offered by the new library.
The new library will allow for new book collections, more than 30 computers, study rooms, a community room, improved working areas for the staff, additional parking and much more.
This isnt simply about having a newer, bigger and better library its about meeting the growing needs of our community, now and in the future, and making it a better place for all who call it home.
Support our community and our library and vote Yes on Nov. 7 youll be making an investment in our community that will benefit residents for years to come.


To contact a member of The Marysville Globe/Arlington Times editorial board Kris Passey, Scott Frank or Margi Hartnett e-mail forum@premier1.net.