The pros and cons of a library district

While people have been debating the formation of a library district in Boulder for decades, the idea moved to the front burner in 2022. It looked like a done deal last month when City Council voted 6-3 to create a new district with boundaries stretching far beyond Boulder city limits. If the county commissioners agreed, the district would officially be formed and voters within the boundaries would decide whether to fund it with new property taxes.

But to the surprise of many, the county commissioners said no. They cited concerns over increasing property taxes when other funding sources already exist to pay for libraries. They wanted a hybrid plan with a smaller property tax hike supplemented by sales taxes from Boulder. Negotiations between the Council and the County Commission failed to reach a compromise so the idea of a district was put on hold indefinitely.

Now Boulder Librar y Champions is working to bypass the elected officials and put the district decision on the ballot using the petition process. This group of volunteers has worked tirelessly for years on this issue and their hard work will no doubt get them enough signatures to succeed. The measure will likely ask voters to approve both creation of the district and the property tax increase to fund it at roughly double the current budget.

So why this passion to raise taxes and create a new bureaucracy to fund and manage libraries when the city has been doing the job for over 100 years? And when most people would probably agree the city has done a pretty darn good job?

The answer is that our libraries might be good but they could be so much better with a bigger and more dependable funding stream. Plus, services could be expanded outside of Boulder to better serve the 40,000 librar y patrons who do not live in the city.

Greatly expanded programming, longer hours, facility upgrades and improved social equity are just some of the benefits that advocates say a district will provide. These are all laudable goals. Our librar y is incredibly important to Boulder and improving it should be a priority.

But, as we all know, there is no free lunch. The district, as currently proposed, would implement a new and permanent 3.8 mil property tax inside the boundaries. That translates to an increase of about $300 per year for an average home in Boulder. However, for a small business that either owns or rents retail space of similar value, the increase will be four times that amount.

For those small businesses, this increase comes on top of property taxes that have already skyrocketed over the last decade to levels that are not sustainable for many. I owned a shop on Pearl Street for 10 years and I know how painful it is to get a letter from the landlord announcing another big jump in taxes. I also know that for some owners, it has been the last straw that pushes them to close their doors and give up on their dream.

I have not seen the measure that will likely be on the ballot. But let’s assume that the Librar y Champions are successful in their signature drive and the proposed district includes the 3.8 mil property tax hike that has been discussed up to this point.

Voters will have to decide if they agree with a majority of City Council and the Library Champions that doubling the budget and freeing the librar y from city funding constraints is worth the cost. Or if they agree with County Commission and a minority on City Council who felt the proposed property tax hike was too high and preferred an alternative approach.

Either way, if you live within the district boundaries, it will be up to you to decide. Your vote will have a big impact for librar y patrons as well as local businesses.

is the CEO of RRC Associates in Boulder. He can be reached at sean@rrcassociates.com.