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Board discusses petition-to-withdraw process after HB2410 failure, targets June 2027 timeline
Summary
Board Chair Kylie Honas reported meetings with the state librarian and Salina library director about petitioning to withdraw from the regional system; she said the process centers on a ‘manifest harm’ determination and noted Topeka–Shawnee County withdrawal could occur in June 2027.
Ellis County Library Board Chair Kylie Honas reported returning from Salina with materials on the petition-to-withdraw process and said the timing for withdrawing may be shorter now that parts of the procedure have been digitized.
Honas said the trip came “on the heels of HB2410 dying last Friday,” and that the petition materials included a declaration form and a petition for exclusion. She emphasized that the key legal issue is how the state library board would determine “manifest harm” under the ¾-mill cap requirement; Honas said the Central Kansas Library System (CKLS) indicated it would not challenge manifest-harm findings and that the state library board is the ultimate decision-maker. Honas reported that some system directors are seeking a short-term fix and that, administratively, Topeka–Shawnee County’s withdrawal timeline could place Ellis County’s potential effective withdrawal in June 2027.
Board members discussed their role in demonstrating adequate service and tax-levy support as part of the withdrawal petition. Honas said meetings with the state librarian aimed to clarify the declaration and petition forms and accelerate the administrative work, but she cautioned there is no guarantee on timing and that manifest harm has not been formally determined historically.
