Clackamas County board forms task force to review library district funding and governance

The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, meeting as the Library Services District Board of Directors, voted Jan. 29, 2025, to form a task force to review the library district's funding, governance and service boundaries.

The board approved the creation of the task force to examine long-standing issues with the library district's structure and financing, including the district's master intergovernmental agreement, uneven service levels across cities, past use of district funds for capital projects, and specific requests for short-term county support such as the Hoodland library. Everett Wilde, policy advisor for County Administration, told the board the group would "roll up our sleeves and deal with some of these big gnarly issues" and deliver recommendations to the library district board.

The task force request grew out of staff presentations on the district's history and current finances. Sarah Ekman, assistant director with the Department of Transportation and Development, outlined that the district was established after a February 2008 ballot measure and that a permanent property tax rate of 0.3974 per $1,000 of assessed value supports the district. Ekman said 100% of district tax revenue is distributed to participating libraries (including city-run libraries and the county-operated Gladstone and Oak Lodge libraries) and that district funds are not used to cover the county's library network office administration, which is funded separately by county general funds.

Board members discussed recurring concerns included in staff materials: variable service hours and resources between libraries, disputed service-area boundaries that channel tax revenue to a jurisdiction that may not provide proportional services, the historical one-time capital contribution of $1,000,000 to cities at district formation, and whether the millage rate or funding model should be revisited. Commissioner Schroeder recalled being involved in the original campaign and urged clarifying what district dollars may be used for; Commissioner Savas described the district's origins and legal settlements that followed earlier disputes over boundaries and service responsibilities.

Staff proposed a task force composition of a library district board director, two mayors, the district administrator, two city managers, two library directors, two members of the public, and an ex officio representative from the library network (LINC). The group would be small and facilitated; staff said they hope to complete work in roughly six months. Everett Wilde also said the county may hire an outside consultant to facilitate the work.

Director Gary Schmidt, the district administrator, told the board staff will return recommended names for the task force within two to three weeks and no later than one month for the board's final approval, at which point the task force would begin its work.

The formal motion to form the task force ("move forward with option 1 to form the task force as presented") passed by roll call 4-0: Director Fireside, Director Schroeder, Director Savas and Chair Roberts voted aye. The board did not take any other formal actions at the session.