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Library director warns county sales-tax proposal could cut local library funding
Summary
Jamie LaRue, director for the Garfield County Public Library District, reported survey results showing broad voter support for the library and warned a county proposal to redirect county sales tax revenue toward transit could reduce the library's budget by roughly $400,000–$3 million depending on outcomes; he urged trustees to oppose diverting library mill-levy funds to transit.
During public comment at the Carbondale trustees meeting, Jamie LaRue (speaker 10), the library director, briefed trustees on a January survey of 695 district voters that found about 80% approve of the library and 67% would support a mill-levy extension. LaRue said the library's existing levy expires in 2027 and that, without renewal, the district would lose about $1 million annually.
LaRue warned that a county-level sales-tax proposal being discussed by county officials could redirect roughly $2 million of countywide library funding toward a regional transit project; he said that outcome combined with local ballot outcomes could mean the library would lose between $400,000 and up to $3 million annually, depending on whether local levies pass. "That's more than bad manners, my friends. That's more than being a bad neighbor. I think it's bad governance, and it's highway robbery," LaRue said.
He urged trustees to remind residents that libraries and transit funding are separate and to encourage municipalities wanting transit expansion to fund it locally. The trustees thanked LaRue for his leadership and noted the district's work and upcoming levy timeline.
