Scenarios for Public Library District in Rock County 9

Contents

Executive Summary 3

Study Committee Members 5

Introduction 6

Background 7

Scenarios for Public Library District in Rock County 9

Wisconsin Public Library District Legislation Draft 19

Findings and Recommendations 21

Appendices 24

Appendix A - Property Wealth in Rock County

Appendix B - Property Tax Revenues for Library Service

Appendix C - 2004 Public Library Appropriations

Appendix D - Town Resident Use of Public Libraries

Appendix E - Crossover Borrowing

Appendix F - Tax Implications for Scenarios

Executive Summary

This report documents the results of the work of a public library districts study committee made up of representatives of public libraries in Rock County.

Background

Public library districts are independent taxing districts which are created for the purpose of providing public library service to the residents of a defined geographic area. The geographic boundary of the taxing district is usually determined by voters and often goes beyond a single political jurisdiction. Although public library districts have taxing authority, that authority is often limited and any increase in taxes usually requires the approval of voters in the district. Boards of public library districts have autonomous governance including the power to sue and be sued, to hold title to real property, to maintain custody of public funds, and to issue bonds for capital projects. Often, but not always, the governing body of a public library district is elected. Public library districts have autonomous administration. They maintain their own accounting structure, personnel system, and employee benefit plans. Nineteen states permit the establishment of public library districts. Nine percent of the 9,000 public libraries in the United States are independent public library districts.

A 2002 State Superintendent’s Task Force on Public Library Legislation and Funding recommended that legislation enabling the creation of district public libraries be introduced in the legislature. Representative Kestell of Sheboygan requested that the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau draft public library district legislation for Wisconsin. A preliminary draft has been developed, but has not been introduced. The Wisconsin Library Association is working to have legislation introduced in the legislative session that begins in January 2005.

Rock County Study

In January 2004, the Arrowhead Library System (ALS) received a $5,000 Library Services and Technology Grant from the Department of Public Instruction to conduct a study of the feasibility of one or more public library districts in Rock County. To assist with the study, ALS hired Larry T. Nix, Consulting Librarian (hereinafter referred to as the consultant), to prepare background materials for the committee and to facilitate the meetings of the committee. A presentation on public library districts and the Rock County study was made by the consultant at a public meeting on March 3, 2004.

Following the public presentation, the study committee met on six occasions. In these meetings, the committee analyzed several possible scenarios for the establishment of public library districts in Rock County. These scenarios were:

·  Scenario A – A Countywide Public Library District

·  Scenario B – Two Public Library Districts Covering the Entire County

·  Scenario C – Five Public Library Districts Covering the Entire County

·  Scenario D – A Janesville Area Public Library District and Multiple Municipal Libraries

·  Scenario E – Two Public Library Districts and Multiple Municipal Libraries

·  Scenario F - Municipal Library in Combination with Adjacent Town

·  Scenario G - Municipal Library Converting to a District Library

The study committee looked at tax, budget, crossover borrowing, administrative, political, and library service implications for each of the possible scenarios. In its review of the possible scenarios, the committee identified a number of advantages to implementing one or more public library districts in Rock County. At the same time it also identified some disadvantages and obstacles to implementing public library districts.

A countywide public library district probably holds the greatest potential for solving significant public library funding problems in Rock County and for delivering better public library service. However, this scenario is probably the most difficult to implement because of the need to increase property taxes in many of the political jurisdictions in the county and because of the need to relinquish local control of public library service.

There are other possible combinations of municipalities with and without public libraries that would improve public library funding and public library service but which would not be as difficult to implement as would a countywide public library district.

Regardless of whether there is an immediate possibility that one or more public libraries in Rock County would pursue a change to the public library district form of organization, the study committee felt that this legal option should be available to Rock County public libraries and to other Wisconsin public libraries. If public library district legislation was enacted in 2006, the earliest a public library district could be established would be January 2007.

Recommendations

·  That the Wisconsin Legislature enact legislation that would permit the establishment of public library districts in Wisconsin.

·  That public officials and public library boards in Rock County support the enactment of public library district legislation in Wisconsin.

·  That the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction support the enactment of public library district legislation in Wisconsin.

The Rock County study committee also reviewed the current draft of public library district legislation for Wisconsin and made several recommendations for modifying that legislation before it is finally introduced. These recommendations can be found on pages 21-23 of the report.

Study Committee Members

Arrowhead Library System

Mary Thompson, Trustee

Ruth Ann Montgomery, System Director

Beloit Public Library

Ken Forbeck, Trustee

Peg Bredeson, Library Director

Clinton Public Library

Michelle Dennis, Library Director

Rita Beyers, Trustee

Diane Bielke, Trustee

Edgerton Public Library

Kathy Whitt, Library Director

Kathleen Hookham, Trustee

Eager Free Public Library, Evansville

Eloise Eager, Trustee

Bridget Rolek, Library Director

Hedberg Public Library, Janesville

Barbara Tapovatz, Trustee

Karen Krueger, Library Director

Milton Public Library

John Berg, Trustee (also ALS Trustee)

Pat Conrad, Library Director

Orfordville Public Library

Bobbe Stuvengen, Trustee (also ALS Trustee)

Marge Harker, Trustee

Priscilla Grittner, Library Director

Introduction

In January 2004, the Arrowhead Library System (ALS) received a $5,000 Library Services and Technology Grant from the Department of Public Instruction to conduct a study of the feasibility of one or more public library districts in Rock County. The Department of Public Instruction also awarded five other grants to study the feasibility of public library districts in other parts of Wisconsin.

To carry out the study, ALS established a study committee comprised of trustees and administrators representing the seven public libraries in Rock County and the Arrowhead Library System. ALS also hired Larry T. Nix, Consulting Librarian (hereinafter referred to as the consultant), to prepare background materials for the committee, to facilitate the meetings of the committee, and to write a final report of the study.

The study was kicked off with a public presentation by the consultant on March 3, 2004 at the Hedberg Public Library in Janesville. Public officials, public library trustees, and the general public were invited to the presentation. The presentation provided an overview of public library districts generally and an overview of the Rock County study.

The study committee held its first meeting on March 23. Other meetings were held on April 22, May 27, June 17, and July 22. In these meetings, the committee analyzed several possible scenarios for the establishment of public library districts in Rock County. The study committee looked at tax, budget, crossover borrowing, administrative, political, and library service implications for each of the possible scenarios. It also reviewed the proposed public library district legislation for Wisconsin.

In August, a Preliminary Report was developed which documented the results of those meetings. Members of the committee shared the Preliminary Report with the boards of the public libraries in Rock County and ALS in September and October to inform them of those results and to gather additional input for the study.

The study committee held its last meeting on October 6 to discuss responses to the Preliminary Report and to make recommendations for this Final Report.

A public presentation of the results of the study is planned for November 17 following the meeting of the ALS board.

Background

Public Library Funding Issues in Rock County

There are several significant funding issues facing public libraries in Rock County. State funding for the Arrowhead Library System (ALS) was reduced in 2003 and will remain at the same level in 2004 and 2005 while costs continue to rise. This means services to the member public libraries from ALS will be reduced. State aid to counties and municipalities will be also be reduced in calendar years 2004 and 2005. This puts public libraries in Rock County in danger of receiving reduced funding during those years.

When the residents of one municipality which has a public library use the library of another municipality it is commonly referred to in the library community as crossover borrowing. There is a high level of crossover borrowing in Rock County due to the close proximity of communities with libraries and a disparity in the level of services and resources available at these libraries. In particular the Hedberg Public Library in Janesville, because of its high level of service, is a magnet to library users who shop and work in Janesville.

Rock County currently has in place a mechanism for partially reimbursing public libraries for crossover borrowing. The Arrowhead Library System uses state aid funds to make 65% of these reimbursement payments. However, the member libraries must pay the remaining amount from their own budgets based on an agreed upon formula. In 2004 the payment to the Hedberg Public Library will be $93,534. This payment represents only 43% of the cost of providing the service under one method of determining costs.

The member public libraries making crossover borrowing payments view these payments as negatively impacting the quality of library service which they can provide to their residents. As a result, some libraries are actively discouraging their patrons from using other libraries in Rock County. This practice has the potential of reducing the overall use of public libraries in Rock County, and of increasing the risk that county residents will not get the library resources they need to improve the quality of their life and the life of the community in which they live. This runs counter to the mission of public libraries and public library systems.

Although all residents of municipalities in the county without their own library can use any public library in the county, there is a significant disparity in library support between municipalities in the county without a public library and municipalities with libraries. Taxpayers in municipalities with libraries pay at a rate of .0007 to .0012 per dollar of equalized value ($70 to $120 on a $100,000 property). In comparison, municipalities without libraries pay less than .0004 per dollar of equalized value or $40 on a $100,000 property.

These funding issues are the impetus for undertaking the public library district feasibility study in Rock County.

Public Library Districts

Public library districts are independent taxing districts which are created for the purpose of providing public library service to the residents of a defined geographic area. The geographic boundary of the taxing district is usually determined by voters and often goes beyond a single political jurisdiction. Although public library districts have taxing authority, that authority is often limited and any increase in taxes usually requires the approval of voters in the district. Boards of public library districts have autonomous governance including the power to sue and be sued, to hold title to real property, to maintain custody of public funds, and to issue bonds for capital projects. Often, but not always, the governing body of a public library district is elected. Public library districts have autonomous administration. They maintain their own accounting structure, personnel system, and employee benefit plans. Nineteen states permit the establishment of public library districts. Nine percent of the 9,000 public libraries in the United States are independent public library districts.

Public Library District Legislation in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has 387 public libraries which serve the entire population of the state. Of these libraries, 88% or 341 are municipal libraries (one of these is part of a school district); 6% or 23 are joint libraries involving 2 or more municipalities ; 18 public libraries are some type of county library; and 6 public libraries are tribal libraries.

A 2002 State Superintendent’s Task Force on Public Library Legislation and Funding recommended that legislation enabling the creation of district public libraries be introduced in the legislature. Representative Kestell of Sheboygan requested that the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau draft public library district legislation for Wisconsin. A preliminary draft has been developed, but has not been introduced. The Wisconsin Library Association is working to have public library district enabling legislation introduced in the legislative session that begins in January 2005. Probably the earliest public library district legislation could be enacted would be the spring of 2006. The earliest a public library district could be established would be January 2007.

More Background Information

More background information can be found at the following Web page:

http://my.execpc.com/~nixlt/districts.htm .

Scenarios for Public Library Districts in Rock County

The study committee analyzed several possible scenarios for the establishment of public library districts in Rock County. These scenarios were:

Scenario A – A Countywide Public Library District

Scenario B – Two Public Library Districts Covering the Entire County

Scenario C – Five Public Library Districts Covering the Entire County

Scenario D – A Janesville Area Public Library District and Multiple Municipal Libraries

Scenario E – Two Public Library Districts and Multiple Municipal Libraries

Scenario F - Municipal Library in Combination with Adjacent Town

Scenario G - Municipal Library Converting to a District Library

The study committee looked at tax, budget, crossover borrowing, administrative, political, and library service implications for each of the possible scenarios. In its review of the possible scenarios, the committee identified positive and negative implications for implementing one or more public library districts in Rock County.