MOSES LAKE — Officials from NCW Libraries and Moses Lake city officials are starting discussions on a new facility use agreement and upgrades to the Moses Lake Public Library.  

Moses Lake Mayor Dustin Swartz said discussions on the building and the facility use agreement are two separate issues, and they're in the beginning stages.  

"This is all very preliminary," he said.  

While NCW Libraries provides the staff and library materials, the city owns the building. Swartz said city officials are working on an assessment of all city facilities. From the work that's been done, city officials have drawn some conclusions. 

"You'll identify very quickly that the library is an outlier," Swartz said.  

The library was built in 1965, and over time some maintenance has been deferred. Library upgrades are going to be more expensive as a result, when compared with other city facilities, Schwartz said.  

City officials don't know yet the extent of the repairs and upgrades that will be necessary. 

"We haven't done a full building analysis yet," Swartz said.  

The city may be able to qualify for funding to pay for some of the upgrades, he said. 

The facility assessment is part of the work being done by city officials to reduce and eventually eliminate deficits in the city's general fund. Council members approved the use of city reserves to cover a general fund deficit in 2025. The deficit was smaller in 2026 but there was still a deficit, and while the city had reserves to cover it, council members opted to figure out ways to reduce expenses rather than keep using reserves.  

When reviewing expenses, city officials found the fee charged to NCW Libraries in the facility use agreement did not cover the city's costs. For 2026, the city allocated $70,000 for the library and will receive about $47,800 from NCW Libraries.  

Amanda Brack, NCW Libraries communications and engagement manager, said the library district also is facing financial challenges.  

"The NCW Libraries board of trustees has been discussing and actively considering paths to long term financial sustainability," Brack said in an email in answer to questions from the Columbia Basin Herald.  

The NCW Libraries district covers Grant, Okanogan, Douglas, Chelan and Ferry counties. Barbara Walters, NCW Libraries executive director, told council members during a December meeting that complicates any effort by the district to raise more money.  

A levy lid lift is one of the possibilities under discussion by district trustees. 

"About 95% of our operating budget comes from property taxes, and state law limits growth in that revenue to 1% percent per year, while our costs rise faster than that." Brack said. "We've made the most of a tight budget for years by reducing spending and pursuing grants, but the board will need either to make significant changes to services and staffing or make a decision to pursue increased revenue in the near future." 

The levy lid lift would change the amount of money collected by NCW Libraries.  

Levy rates change over time as the value of property within the district increases, but the amount of money the district is allowed to collect stays the same. A levy lid lift allows the district to raise the assessment closer to the district's maximum levy rate. It must be approved by voters within the district.  

"A levy lid lift is one path that many public agencies, including other public libraries, pursue. Any decision to ask voters to consider a levy lid lift rests with the board," Brack said. 

The library is in Civic Center Park, and along with the facility assessment, city officials have hired consultants to look at ways to make improvements to the business district along Third and Fourth Avenues. Revisions to Civic Center Park is part of that discussion, Swartz said. 

"It's not a heavily used park, and never has been," Swartz said.  

The consultants are including Civic Center Park in their analysis, including the library building, and so far they have recommended keeping both the building and its current use, Swartz said. 

City officials want to know what residents think about the library, and Swartz said they're looking for ways to get the widest possible range of responses.  

"There is going to be a discussion about that at some point," Swartz said.