黑料福利社

NACHES 鈥� Months of planning and work by multiple volunteers culminated Monday as community library supporters presented a ceremonial check to town officials.

Representatives of the had already given the town a real check for the $15,483 they said they would raise as the 2026 balance of the town's new contract with . The town owns the 聽building at 303 Naches Ave. and contracts with the library system for services.

Mayor Bill Davis thanked Amanda Sinift, president of the Friends of the Naches Library Coalition, during the gathering.

"There's a lot of efforts that went into this. We're pretty impressed by your energy and your commitment," Davis said as town council members agreed.

Sinift was joined by a few coalition members. "Thank you all so very much for giving us the chance to raise the money," she said.

It was a brief ceremony, but a big deal.

Late last fall, town council members and library system officials approved a new contract for library services for 2026-28. It phases in a higher annual library service fee of $55,704 over the next three years, with the city paying 75% of the higher fee in 2026, 85% in 2027 and 100% in 2028.

Naches council members voted to provide $25,000 toward the library services contact and coalition members pledged to provide the rest through donations and fundraisers. The group held several fundraising events.

That came after several often lengthy, emotional and standing-room-only meetings of town council members and library system board members.聽

Community members formed the Naches library coalition last fall when they learned the popular library may close due to higher annual library services fees sought by the library system. In a process that began in October 2024, officials with the library system sought new contracts for annual library services fees that more closely mirror what residents of Naches, Tieton, Granger and Mabton would collectively pay if they were annexed into the system.

The funding mix has become lopsided over decades, with the library system paying a substantially higher percentage to run the libraries, officials said.

Officials with Naches, Granger and Mabton negotiated new three-year contracts with the library system. The Tieton library closed after town officials stressed concerns not only with the higher annual library service fees, but also about the level of service the town would get with a new contract.