What is a library district and what does it mean to me?
On November 18, 2008, a Montgomery County judge approved the establishment of the Litchfield Public Library District. Read below to find out how the Library District works, and what you can expect as a citizen, taxpayer, and patron of the Library.
1) What does a library district mean for the Library?
By creating a library district, the Library becomes its own entity, much like the Litchfield Park District or Litchfield Airport Authority. The library district can act on its own accord to levy taxes, hold referendum elections, or annex new properties into its service area. Board members to a library district are elected rather than appointed.
2) What does a library district mean for the City of Litchfield?
The creation of a library district pulls the library’s tax levy out of the city’s overall levy. The library district levies for its own funding and will no longer be a part of the city’s budget or levy after the 2008 (payable 2009) levy.
The Library will continue to receive Personal Property Replacement Tax income from the city’s distribution. However, Montgomery County real estate taxes will come directly to the library, instead of to the city to be transferred into library accounts.
3) What does a library district mean for taxpayers?
Your real estate tax bill will reflect the library district becoming its own line item (much like the school district, park district, college district are their own lines on your tax bill). Whatever percentage that was formerly levied under the city if Litchfield’s levy for library purposes will be instead distributed to the library district itself.
4) Will my real estate taxes go up?
The Library can operate on the amount of tax income it currently receives. There is no plan by the Library Board of Trustees to ask for an increase in tax revenue for library purposes upon the creation of a library district.
5) I live outside Litchfield city limits. Will I still have to pay for a library card?
No. Effective in November 2011, the Library annexed the entire Litchfield Community School District into its service area. This means that anyone who pays taxes to LCUSD #12 also pays taxes to the Library. Non-resident fees are no longer required for anyone who resides within the school district.
However, if you live outside the LCUSD #12 boundaries, but not inside the library service area of another library, you will have to pay the non-resident fee. This is most common for those who reside in Butler, which is not in LCUSD #12 or in the Hillsboro Public Library service area. For more information or clarification, please contact the Library.