Timberland Regional Library board approves budget cuts, including layoffs
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Board approved a 2026 budget adjustment and authorized a reduction in force.
- Library to cut $1.8M from books and trim programs, travel and supplies.
The Board of Trustees at Timberland Regional Library voted unanimously in two areas Wednesday night to address a budget shortfall for the five-county library system that’s headquartered in Tumwater.
The two actions approved a budget adjustment for 2026 and authorized executive director Cheryl Heywood to move forward with a reduction in force. The specific number of job cuts wasn’t shared during the meeting.
“We have been working closely with our union and closely with our board on impact bargaining,” said Heywood. “At this point, it still remains confidential, so we can’t go into specifics, but we have kept the board apprised, and the board has given us direction.”
A layoff number was not shared during the meeting. The Olympian has reached out to Timberland officials and the union about that number.
Wednesday’s vote capped another long board meeting that was watched by more than 200 people online, including about 30 who testified during public comment. The library system also received 123 written comments. Many who spoke urged Timberland to protect jobs.
The library system is trying to address a budget shortfall that has previously been identified at $3.8 million.
“We have reached a point where our expenditures significantly outpace our revenues, and we must make hard decisions,” Heywood said. “Among the messages submitted to the Board of Trustees and administration leading up to this meeting, we are heartened to have read so many comments expressing support, care and appreciation for library staff as well.”
The budget adjustment approved by the board was in line with what Timberland announced on Jan. 28, said Finance Administrator Paige Preston, who again detailed some of those cuts.
“We are reducing the books and materials budget by an estimated $1.8 million, and we’re reducing supplies and non-essential purchases, such as the one-time items that you see listed in each branch and department,” she said. “We’re reducing costs for programs and paid presenters, which you can see as a line item for each department, and eliminating non-essential travel conferences and training.
“So that’s essentially that first pass to bring our expenditures more in line with our revenues.”
Although a difficult step, Lewis County Trustee Brian Mittge agreed it was the right one to make.
“We’re still buying some new books, but really being extremely judicious on those, and pretty much cutting every other cost that we can,” he said. “So I think this is smart. This is good. We’ve already started doing this. We need to do this. I like it.”
And then the board authorized the reduction in force.
Grays Harbor County Trustee Dustin Loup acknowledged that wasn’t easy either.
“I want to reiterate the difficulty of this decision, but also mention that there’s still discussions to be had,” he said. “There’s still impact bargaining. ... We’re working and doing everything we can to reach the least harmful outcome.”
How did TRL get here?
Trustee Mittge kicked off the meeting by summarizing some of the long-standing financial challenges faced by the library system, including limits on property tax collections.
“There are two lines, and the expense line is steeper than the tax revenue income line,” he told the online audience. “That’s mostly due to a limit that has been in state law for more than 20 years, limiting our property tax income increases to 1% per year, plus (the value of) new construction.
“While TRL does also collect some timber tax revenue, it is a very small part of the system’s budget these days and fluctuates quite a bit. The bottom line is that our expenses, such as the cost for books, e-books, paper, electricity, salaries and benefits for our staff, increase faster than our revenue.”
Some have suggested Timberland pursue a levy lid lift — and some again said so during public comment. For the library system that means paying for a ballot measure in the five counties it serves, and then it has to be approved by voters in all five counties.
An effort to pass a levy lid lift failed in 2009 and cost Timberland around $350,000, Executive Director Heywood previously said.
To do it again could cost Timberland close to $1 million, Mittge said.
“Whether or when we decide to run a levy lid lift election again, we cannot depend on it passing or saving us from the tough choices facing us today,” he said.
Timberland has also committed to paying a living wage, which is around $25 per hour for an entry-level employee. Some public commenters called for an independent investigation into Timberland.
That essentially already happens, Mittge explained.
“TRL is audited every year by an outside agency, the Office of the Washington State Auditor, and these audits show that our staff handle our books with honesty and integrity,” he said. “This money did not disappear. Timberland spent it to keep things going without major disruption or layoffs. The (revenue/expense) trend lines have continued coming closer together. Now they’ve finally converged. The time to make hard choices has arrived.”
Public comment
No one spoke in support of the proposed budget cuts.
Scott Williams of Olympia urged Timberland to come up with a solution that did not involve layoffs.
“The staff are important,” he said. “They do important things, and they help the community.”
Olympia City Council member Robert Vanderpool submitted written comment and spoke during public comment. He shared that the city had worked through a challenging budget process as well, and urged Timberland to explore all options like the city did.
“Staff layoffs are the last option, and we asked for options in order to ensure that the public knows that we were doing this the right way,” he said. “... In government, we have to do everything we can to do no harm, to ensure that the public trust is there. ... Layoffs are the last option in my mind. These folks are our neighbors, they are our friends, they contribute to the community.”
Rebecca Durr of Aberdeen was among those who called for greater scrutiny of Timberland.
“We need more transparency about TRL operations and finances,” she said. “We need an independent review of how we got here. If we must have layoffs, let’s start at the top.”
Mary Boone of Shelton explained how important libraries are to her.
“Since purchasing a home near Shelton, I’ve become a regular of the Shelton library,” she said. “For me, it’s an office away from home. It’s a place where I can write and think and work surrounded by the voices of so many great authors. I also love working in the Belfair library, which offers its own special retreat with trees all around it. These spaces matter deeply to me, both personally and professionally.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the source of a direct quote.
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 10:25 AM.
