Talk to Local Government Officials

You will need the support and assistance of your local government officials to be successful in a district effort. Once you have done some preliminary work with the district, talk to the clerk, treasurer and county commissioners. At various points in the process you will need the assistance of these people. You need the clerk or treasurer's help in order to determine the value of mill, and s/he can be very helpful when it comes to paperwork. The commissioners are the ones who need to pass resolutions - the first to put the issue of a district on the ballot and the second to form the district if the vote is positive.

You need to find out how supportive your commissioners are about the new district. They can make life difficult for you if they are against the district idea. You can continue with your efforts, but it will be much harder to form a district without the support of the commissioners. If you do decide to join with other libraries and to go outside county boundaries you must include the commissioners and clerks in those areas as well.

What if the County Commissioners Do Not Favor a Library District?

Consider whether or not to proceed. Commissioners hold a lot of power over the districting process and the first year of operation. If they are openly opposed to the idea, you may want to take the time to work with the commissioners until they are agreeable to the districting project.