TRL rescinds 80% of planned mandatory layoffs

Published 1:30 am Thursday, April 16, 2026

When Timberland Regional Library [TRL] revealed a $3.8 million budget deficit heading into 2026 in a “Budget Message from the Executive Director,” TRL Executive Director Cheryl Heywood wrote “ … we have implemented a hiring freeze, effective immediately, and have begun planning for staffing reductions to be effective as of May 1.”

Heywood has since resigned and is no longer reporting to work, with her last day on June 30. Library Services Director Andrea Heisel has been filling an interim leadership role since Heywood’s resignation.

News of what would be termed “a reduction in force” and the plan to lay off 61 “frontline” employees, mainly library assistants, librarians and public services specialists, 17 who took a voluntary option and 44 involuntary, led to a groundswell of anger.

Public outcry throughout the five counties TRL services was loud and passionate. The TRL Board of Trustees consisting of Brian Mittge, Dustin Loup, Toni Gwin, Mary Beth Harrington and Hal Blanton experienced a deluge of letters, e-mails, heated [and at times profanity-laden] public comments during virtual online board meetings, while local newspapers received an influx of letters to the editor and op/eds. Patrons, and former TRL employees and trustees, Friends of Library groups and more all raised a chorus of voices calling for the ouster of top TRL brass, a forensic accounting review and a pause in the planned layoffs. Former TRL employee Rachelle Martin, who spent nine years of her 13-year career at the Raymond branch, and avid library activist Kylie McQuarrie formed the Patron Coalition for Local Libraries to rally support for library branches and their staffs.

These efforts, along with Union negotiations, have yielded results. Late Wednesday night, AFSCME Local 3758, the union representing most TRL workers, issued a press release announcing that TRL leadership agreed to rescind over 80% of involuntary layoff notices sent to frontline library workers on March 15.

As detailed in the Union’s press release, the 17 employees who chose a voluntary layoff option will still be leaving employment with the TRL system by April 30. Of the remaining 44 involuntary layoff notices sent out, 36 layoff notices to frontline workers have now been rescinded.

TRL confirmed the developments in a press release issued late Thursday morning. Involuntary layoffs will proceed only in limited cases, including employees in probationary or trial service status and those with certain levels of documented discipline. Voluntary layoffs will continue as planned.

“This outcome reflects the strength of union workers in rallying public support for library services. We thank everyone — union members, library patrons, and community members — who spoke out and stood with us during this difficult period,” the Union stated in its release. “Local 3758B continues to demand leadership accountability for the lack of accurate, timely, and complete budget forecasting that led to the current financial crisis.”

The Union and the Board praised the collaboration that led to the saving of 36 workers’ jobs.

“We appreciate the willingness of TRL leadership to engage with us and respond to the concerns raised by workers and the community,” AFSCME Local 3758 Staff Representative Beth Gawne said via the TRL press release. “Working together, we were able to achieve a meaningful outcome that preserves library services and reflects shared values. While challenges remain, this agreement demonstrates that collaboration can lead to real solutions for workers and the communities we serve.”

TRL Board of Trustees President-Elect Dustin Loup said, “This agreement is the product of collective, collaborative work. Our communities deserve a library system where the Board, leadership, and the union work on issues together, and this development is an example of that at work. TRL leadership brought forward a plan that significantly reduces the immediate impact on staff, the union engaged in good faith, and the public made clear how deeply they value their libraries.”

Among these 36 staff whose layoff notices were rescinded are staff at Hoodsport, McCleary and Amanda Park branches. These branches were set to transition to Expanded Access Hours [EAH] only, staffless models.

“Now we will be determining our open hours for all the branches with this new plan,” Anna Lisa Rasmussen, communications and media coordinator with TRL, shared with The Daily World via email.

“We are elated that they’re able to keep our wonderful staff and that they’re working on the budget concerns,” said Tammy Finch, president of the Friends of the McCleary library. “It’s great that we’re keeping our library open for the citizens of McCleary.”

Since Heywood’s resignation on March 25, the TRL Board of Trustees has launched an effort to recruit and hire an interim executive director with five candidates selected to be interviewed.

The Board will gather in person on Saturday, April 18, at the Lacey Timberland Library and then interview the applicants remotely in closed session.

TRL executive salaries and exponential raises amid consolidated roles have exploded into a major controversy. Heywood’s salary increased from $155,000 in 2023 to $189,000 in 2024 and to $206,788 in 2025. The interim executive director’s salary range has been set at “$13,333 to $17,500 per month [dependent upon qualification], with benefits.”

Meanwhile, the human resources administrator’s salary has increased from $98,828 in 2023 to $142,963 for 2026. TRL also added an employee experiences advisor position at an annual salary of $120,376 in 2025, with an increase to $127,335 in 2026. The administrative coordinator, whose position is listed under the executive director, made $89,554 in 2023, was re-titled as executive administrator in 2024 at $95,931, and was bumped to $115,718 in 2025 and $133,760 for 2026. A special projects coordinator was added to administration for 2026 at a salary of $105,847. That’s more than $500,000 in salary, not including benefits, for four people.

TRL has operated in the “red” since 2023, with the deficit growing from nearly $950,000 in 2023 to close to $1.5 million in 2024, just over $3 million in 2025, and a projected $3.8 million for 2026. TRL was $1.3 million in the “black” in 2022.

Nearly $1.9 million has been cut from the collections budget, and TRL is making significant reductions to supplies and non-essential purchases, limiting employee travel for conferences and training, and has already reduced the amount of free printing offered to $20 per month per person for a total savings of nearly $2.3 million.

TRL is primarily funded through local property taxes, with additional support from timber revenues and other dedicated funds. Many are calling for a levy lid lift to increase property tax revenues.

“Given additional time and space to more thoughtfully review our budget and the board’s interest in exploring a levy lid lift, we were able to determine that we could make the budget whole with the planned layoff revisions plus additional cost-savings measures including reductions in non-staff expenditures, ongoing monitoring of revenues and expenses, and adjustments to non-represented staff salaries,” Heisel said. “However, it will be imperative to pursue a levy lid lift in the near future.”

The Union’s press release indicated that stability within TRL leadership and management will be imperative in gaining public trust with regard to a levy lift campaign.

“When TRL asks for support via a levy lid lift, the public must know the library has the leadership necessary to sustain essential services over the long term. We call on the TRL Board of Trustees to ensure that concrete steps for accountability are met to ensure a successful levy lid lift for TRL,” the Union stated. “We thank everyone — union members, library patrons, and community members — who spoke out and stood with us during this difficult period.”

TRL Board of Trustees President Brian Mittge believes TRL has figured out a path forward to resolve the budget crisis in the near-term.

“I’m heartened by this new direction for TRL, which dramatically reduces our previously announced layoffs by more than half. After listening closely to the public and taking their ideas into careful consideration, our staff put together a new framework designed to keep our branches open and staffed,” Mittge said. “It takes our budget from the red to the black through the end of the year. It’s not the entire solution, and we continue to look at ways to resolve long-term structural issues with our budget, but it’s a big step forward.”