To the editor:

In 2010, the city of Langley paid $44,000 to the Sno-Isle Library District, since Langley residents don’t pay a property tax for the library system. But with Sno-Isle raising the fee for this service, the city will be asking its citizens to approve a direct property tax for Sno-Isle on the November 2010 ballot, thereby eliminating any payment by Langley.

I think this is reasonable, as we residents of Langley should be paying our fair share for the Sno-Isle system — provided the city of Langley reduces its property tax by $44,000.

But now I’m hearing that the city of Langley intends to retain the $44,000 in its general fund. This is anything but reasonable — it’s a double dip.

I recognize that the city of Langley is having budget problems. But if it wants to retain the $44,000, then it should ask its voters to approve that amount as a tax increase.

I’ve talked with many people across the political spectrum about this issue, and not one thinks the city of Langley should retain the $44,000 without a vote of the electorate.

City council members — are you listening? If not, the library tax measure will surely fail.

Paul Goldfinger

Langley