Library district proposal likely on November ballot

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Proponents of a library district in and around Fort Collins received the go-ahead they needed in May, when the Fort Collins City Council encouraged them to put an initiative on the November ballot. The group needs to collect only 100 signatures to get the measure on the ballot.

In the meantime, results of a city survey showed that only a slim majority would support formation of a library district if the election were held today. About half of those polled said they would pay more in taxes to operate the district.

"It means we have to work like crazy," said Marty Tharp, leader of the ad hoc group proposing formation of a library district. "We have to make people totally aware of the cuts that have occurred already and anticipated cuts if the district is not formed."

The group will also have to educate the public about what will be possible with the additional money generated by a taxing district, she said. Examples include operation of a new southeast library and reinstatement of library drop boxes.

In the recent survey, 52 percent said they favored formation of a district. Marty Heffernan, head of libraries, parks and recreation for Fort Collins, said he considers more than 50 percent to be pretty good. "It's a tough thing these days to ask for a property tax," he noted.

Heffernan hopes voters will be more inclined to support a library district when they are more educated about it.

A library district would shift library funding from the Fort Collins general fund to a tax-supported district. District proponents point out that this move would free up about $3.5 million annually in the city budget, while making the funding base for libraries much larger. The idea, they say, is to have everyone who uses the libraries help pay for them.

The ad hoc group is proposing district boundaries that would include all of Poudre School District plus an area on the south edge of Fort Collins that's in the Thompson School District. Wellington and Red Feather Lakes, which operate their own libraries, could choose to be included or not.

A library district, like other tax districts, would be governed by a board of directors. The library staff would become employees of the district.

Just putting the issue on the ballot costs a lot - from $50,000 to $100,000. At a city council work session held May 23, the ad hoc group was assured that they won't have to come up with this money. Larimer County has offered to foot the bill for the election costs, according to city manager Darin Atteberry, and the city will cover the costs if that becomes necessary.

If the library district measure makes it onto the November ballot, citizens will need to make two decisions. They will have to decide whether a district should be formed and, if formed, whether it should be funded with a 3-mill property tax. The tax would amount to about $60 on a home valued at $255,000, Tharp said. In the recent survey, 49 percent of respondents said they would likely support this new tax; 47 percent said they would likely not.

In the same survey, 79 percent of respondents said the library uses tax dollars wisely and deserves more funding. Eighty-four percent said the library should not cut back on services, hours of operation or purchase of new books.

The ad hoc group will now work on putting the district measure on the November ballot. Tharp said the group must firm up boundaries as well as ballot language before circulating a petition. Then, they will form a political action committee to collect funds for a campaign. At the same time, Tharp said, the group will continue to educate the public about the benefits of forming a library district.