Election 2022: Boulder library district vote remains tight
BOULDER — The vote on a measure that would establish a new public library district in Boulder — and create a new property tax to pay for it — remained extremely tight Tuesday evening as the second ballot tabulations were released.
A total of 17,976 voters opposed the measure as of 9:30 p.m., while 16,984 favored it.
As planned, the library district ballot initiative would create a separate governing entity for oversight of Boulder’s libraries, managed by an independently appointed board of directors. Funding for the district would take the form of a new 3.5 mill levy, equivalent to roughly $1,000 on $1 million in commercial property and $243 on a $1 million home, according to the Boulder Chamber, which opposes Ballot Question 6C.
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“The business community recognizes that libraries are critical infrastructure for the community,” Boulder Chamber president John Tayer told BizWest just after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, however “there’s a question of whether this is the best approach. We didn’t feel that it was in the best interest of community to address the needs of our community on the backs of our small businesses.”
The new governing body for the libraries “would have less accountability than we enjoy with our current library system,” he said.
This story will be updated as more votes are tabulated.
