City of Great Falls considers redirecting library funds for public safety needs, library rejects city proposal

UPDATE, Sept. 6 1:31 p.m. - The Great Falls Public Library Board of Trustees held a special board meeting on Thursday, September 5 where they voted to oppose the city's renegotiation offer. 

Statement from the Great Falls Public Library Director Susie McIntyre: 

At last night’s meeting, the Great Falls Public Library Board of Trustees carefully reviewed the City’s proposed agreement to take 3.5 mills for two years and then take all 7 mills permanently. 

While we understand the City's need to address financial challenges, the Board voted to oppose this specific renegotiation offer. Instead, they have decided to present our own compromise, which would maintain our City Agreement with funding reduced to 4.5 mills yearly.

This compromise reflects our commitment to being a team player in the ongoing efforts to support the broader needs of the City, while also safeguarding the essential services the Library provides. By reducing our funding by 2.5 mills, we are prepared to sacrifice over $300,000 from our budget—an adjustment that demonstrates our willingness to contribute to the City's goals without jeopardizing the critical programs and resources we offer to the community.

We firmly believe that library safety is inherently tied to public safety. The Library is not just a place of learning and growth, but also a safe and welcoming space for all residents. Maintaining adequate funding is crucial to ensuring that the Library remains secure, staffed, and able to provide essential services to the public.

In addition, we believe that it is our duty to honor the will of the voters who passed the levy for expanded Library services.  We look forward to working with the City to reach an agreement that allows us to continue serving as a vital resource to the people of Great Falls, while supporting the City’s overall financial well-being.

The city won't vote on taking the 7-mills away from the library until mid-October. In the meantime, we'll continue to keep you updated as we learn if the city is interested in the counter proposal. 

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The City of Great Falls is considering shifting funds from the city's library budget to enhance public safety.

A proposal has sparked tensions between the city administration and the library. Discussions between the two sides have been ongoing since mid-March.

In April 1993, the city and the library signed an agreement for the city to support the library with at least seven mills. This arrangement has been renewed annually. In December 2022, both parties agreed that if a proposed library levy passed, the library would return $350,000 from the general fund but continue receiving the seven mills.

The library levy passed in June 2023.

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Joe McKenney, a city commissioner, spoke about the significance of this funding.

"That is sacred money. It's in the city charter. There's 15 mills that the community voted on, plus two mills from a previous election. There's 17 mills total that is sacred that the city is not going to use anywhere else. It's safely being used with the library," McKenney said.

Despite this, the city claims the seven mills are open for negotiation. The library, however, built its budget based on the assurance of receiving those funds.

Susie McIntyre, the director for the library said, "We were clear that our funding package included the 24 mills from the city." 

Negotiations started in March and on August 28, they presented the library with an offer that detailed the library getting 3.5 mills for the next two fiscal years and after support would be reduced to zero. 

McKenney stated, "That's seven mills now is a small part of library funding, it is no longer their base funding. It is possible that it could be used elsewhere."

The library's budget would face a significant shortfall from the loss of these seven mills. The 2025 budget would see a 27 percent reduction, losing $842,800. This represents less than 6% of the initial ask of the public safety levy, which was 103.75 mills per year equally approximately $13,675,910.

"The Library Renegotiation Committee is committed to upholding the will of the voters and the proposal by the City Commission to reallocate funds undermines the trust that voters placed in us," Susie added.

The library board plans to meet Thursday, September 5, to discuss an alternative proposal. McIntyre emphasized the importance of collaboration, saying, "We want to be a partner with the city because the library is part of the city. And we have been for 130 years. Our community not only deserves to have a great library, we deserve to have a safe community, and those things go hand in hand."

The library renegotiation committee is proposing the library board considers giving the city 2.5 mills annually, providing over $300,000 for other priorities, like public safety.

"We have been working for five months to negotiate with the city and their proposal just decimates the library budget. And we really want them to come back to the negotiating table and consider the proposal that the board is going to consider on Thursday," McIntyre said.

In addition to the meeting on September 5, the City Commission will receive a briefing from the Public Safety Advisory Committee during a work session tonight to explore other ways to improve public safety in Great Falls.

This entire conversation is due to the failed 2023 Safety Levy and the need to address public safety in the community.