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The Boulder Public Library, as seen in January 2021. (Camera file photo)
The Boulder Public Library, as seen in January 2021. (Camera file photo)
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Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct that the city and county would pay for the cost of the election if voters do not approve a tax increase.

This year could mark the beginning of the end for the years-long discussion about whether to form a library district in Boulder.

Advocates have for years been pushing for the formation of one, arguing that ending more than 100 years of municipal control and creating a self-governed district funded by property taxes would provide financial stability for the library system.

The Boulder County Commissioners on Thursday held an informational meeting, ahead of a variety of discussions and decisions regarding the potential district that will be held in the coming months.

Boulder City Council on Feb. 8 will hold a study session to hear from the Library District Advisory Committee, seated in October, which met regularly to determine library district boundaries; the mill levy amount needed to provide services; engagement methods; and other key information.

According to Boulder’s Director of Library and Arts David Farnan, while the library could maintain its current service levels at 2.7 mills, the committee suggested a mill levy rate not to exceed 3.8 mills in order to allow expansion and growth. Should the currently proposed district boundaries be approved, 1 mill generates $5.1 million. The mill levy is the rate of tax that is applied to the assessed value of a person’s property to determine the property tax paid.

The library has identified that it would need $20 million annually in order to expand its services and implement the goals of the 2018 Boulder Public Library Master Plan, which includes opening libraries in Gunbarrel and Niwot, offering outreach to the Latinx community and spending more money on books for the library collection, Farnan noted.

There are two ways to create a library district, either by ordinance or resolution or through a petition. Boulder City Council in May agreed to move forward with the initial process of creating a library district through a resolution.

In Thursday’s informational meeting, Commissioner Claire Levy had questions about the county’s role. Moving forward would require an intergovernmental agreement between the city, the county and the library district through its appointed Board of Trustees.

Janet Michaels, with the Boulder City Attorney’s Office, confirmed that it is largely a relationship between the city and the library district.

However, she said the county will be tasked with working with the city to appoint the library district’s Board of Trustees. Furthermore, if voters reject a tax increase three times, the county and city would need to work together to determine how to pay for the cost of the election, something that would fall on the library district if it’s successful.

Plus, the proposed boundaries extend past the city limits, including unincorporated areas of the county.

To that end, Commissioner Matt Jones asked whether the boundaries were set in stone, noting at least a portion of the current boundaries include areas affected by the Marshall Fire.

“It seems like a pretty inopportune to ask people who lost their homes to increase their mill levy,” he said.

The determination of the boundaries is up to those establishing the district, Farnan confirmed.

“If the county commission or the city council had interest in pulling back on whatever lines for whatever reasons you may have, that’s certainly a discussion that we would want to have,” he said.

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