By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
Rural Ellis County voters will get their opportunity later this year to vote on whether their tax dollars will go only to support libraries in Ellis County or if that money will continue to be distributed across north-central Kansas.
Last week the Ellis County Commission approved in a 3-0 vote, putting the question “Shall Ellis County, Kansas establish and maintain a county library?” before rural voters on the August 6, 2024 ballot.
Commissioner Michael Berges stressed that the tax would continue to be collected but instead of the taxes going to the Central Kansas Library System (CKLS) and then distributed back to the 17 counties that are a part of that system, the money would stay in Ellis County.
“The taxing would be essentially the same,” Berges said. If the Ellis County Library were to be approved, “The $300,000 is just collected within our own county board (and) they (would) determine how they want to provide library services through the current libraries that we have within the county.”
Berges, who joined the KAYS Morning show last week, talked about the proposal and what a complicated issue it is.
“We really won't know all the answers that people want because depending on the resolution vote, it could take up to two years to finalize a county library,” Berges said.
Berges said a lot of the feedback that he has received is asking questions that the county cannot answer until the measure goes before voters, so the first step in the process is to approve the resolution and see what the voters want.
“If the voters want to continue on the current use of the Central Kansas Library System, then that's their choice and we continue down that path,” Berges said. “But if the voters were to move to an Ellis County Library, then there's a two year process still, that also still includes the state, and whether they would allow us to opt out anyway.”
Berges, who previously served on the Hays City Commission said this is an issue that he has been aware of for many years.
Only residents who live in Victoria and rural Ellis County currently will be affected by the proposal and allowed to vote on the resolution.
Both the cities of Hays and Ellis already collect taxes to fund their respective public libraries.
Residents of Victoria and rural Ellis County are currently paying a 1.5 mill collected for the Central Kansas Public Library.
Residents in all areas of the CKLS are also taxed at the 1.5 mill or about $150 on $100,000 worth of property rate but as Berges pointed out those funds are then split among the 17-county area.
“That worked fine and well in the '60s and '70s,” Berges said. “When all these counties out here were populated relatively closely. The valuations were similar.”
Both Ellis and Saline Counties in the CKLS continue to grow while the other counties are not and both counties are seeing the amount of funding they receive shrink.
“Ellis County residents are continuously paying more into the Central Kansas Library System because our valuations are going up; we have more people and the amount that we receive back, right now it's less than a third,” Berges said. “So, if you pay $150 in, the Central Kansas Library system sends about $50 back to Ellis County libraries.”
The Hays Public Library and the Ellis Public Library are both members of the CKLS and receive funding from the system but Brandon Hines, the director of the Hays Public Library said they are seeing less funding each year.
Hines told the commission he sees the CKLS as an important part of rural communities and that they are in no way attempting to be the only library in Ellis County.
“Library services to our rural communities is very important,” Hines said. “Ellis already has a library, we think this change could actually increase their funding, increase their resources in the future.”
Because Victoria does not have a public library, Hines estimated the Hays Public Library has 450 cardholders from Victoria and they believe they could extend services to Victoria, if the Ellis County Library is approved.
Berges also stressed that they see this as a benefit for the Ellis Public Library and access to the Ellis Public Library is not going anywhere. Hines also stressed that to the county commission.
“Absolutely, there needs to be a public library in Ellis,” Hines who is an Ellis resident, said. “There's no intention of the Hays Public Library being the only library in the county.”
The City of Ellis and the Ellis Public Library are currently considering whether to remain separate from the proposed Ellis County Library or opt in.
If they choose to remain separate, the funding remains the same. They will still receive funds from the CKLS and the library will be funded through local property taxes, just like the Hays Public Library.
If they elect to opt in to the Ellis County Library, the voters in Ellis would also get to vote on the resolution and they would have representation on the Ellis County Library Board.
Hines said that if the resolution is approved by voters the process is already laid out by state statue.
“There would be a five member board, and it would be from the taxing district,” Hines said. “So, if that taxing district was outside the city limits of Hays, and outside the city limits of Ellis, it would be five members from that taxing district. If Ellis decided to opt in or Hays decided to opt in, it would also include that taxing district, but that board would be appointed by the county commission.”
The board would set the mill levy and have control over the library budget and contracts.
Both Hines and Berges reiterated that it is a very complicated process and that they cannot answer all of the questions until voters weigh in on the initial question, which is “Shall Ellis County, Kansas establish and maintain a county library?”
Berges said, “The dividing line is if you feel the current system works, and the libraries you feel are funded fine the way that is, vote no and it remains,” Berges said. “If you feel like the opportunity is, ‘I believe those tax dollars staying more local, and allowing local five board members to make decisions for my tax dollars, (then vote yes),” Berges said.
“I believe you would have a little bit more influence as citizens, influence on your county and city commissioners on different topics,” Berges said.