Commissioners to appoint Ronan library board June 4

RONAN — Letters of interest are being accepted for what will be only the state’s fourth library district.

Through Friday, May 31, Lake County Commissioners are accepting the letters to serve on the newly voter-approved Ronan Library District board.

Terms will be staggered so all the seats won’t be up for election at the same time.

Four people will be appointed to two-year terms, while three people will be appointed to four-year terms. At the close of terms, appointees must run for election to standard four-year terms, Lake County Commissioner Ann Brower said.

When voters approved the district, they also approved paying taxes each year to support the library, which has seen drastic budget cuts over the past several years.

As a district, the library could, at maximum mills, receive $199,000 a year from tax payers within the boundaries of the Ronan School District #30. That amounts to $39.77 a year for a property valued at $100,000 and $79.54 a year for property assessed at $200,000.

Library board members will be charged with determining how many mills to tax for each year and then budgeting the funds.

“And helping to make sure that the library is run the way the community expects it to be run,” Library Director Michelle Fenger said.

Fenger said plans include funding additional positions and expanding hours and programming at the library, which has the 32nd largest service population and ranks 38th in the state for circulation but 80th out of 81 libraries for expenditures and revenue per capita, according to the Montana State Library’s 2011 ranking report.

Trustees will be appointed by commissioners June 4 and take their seats immediately, Fenger added.

“We’re looking forward to serving our community better,” she said.

“And, of course, we want to thank our community for allowing this to happen."

Trustees also will work on a memorandum of understanding with the city, which owns the building in which the library is currently housed.

For more information about the library board, call the commissioners at 883-7204.