Opinion by JENI DODD
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The Great Falls Library Board rejected the City of Great Falls' "last, best, final" offer on 1993 Agreement renegotiation and instead voted 3-1 at its special board meeting on September 5 to accept its own negotiating team’s offer that demands the city levy the full number of mills allowed in the City Charter unless the Library Board requests a lower number of mills in the budget proposal.
The city commission, as part of the yearly city budget process, votes to assess the mills each year for the general fund and for the library per the voted-in library levies that are now part of the city charter. However, the legality of an agreement that seeks to mandate how a governmental body votes, prior to that vote, seems questionable.
The library’s offer also demanded 4.5 mills by agreement from the city’s general fund, which is a reduction from the 7 mills allocated by the 1993 Agreement. The library’s offer would guarantee the library receive 21.5 mills per year.
The 1993 Agreement was not approved by voters in a levy election. It was an agreement between the city and the library board for management and 7 mill funding of the library that was cancellable by either party each year by written notice to the other party at least 90 days before the anniversary date of June 1.
The agreement has no effect on the voted-in mills for the library — 2 mills in 2000 and an additional 15 mills in 2023, making a total of up to 17 mills.
The motion to vote on the City of Great Falls negotiating team’s “last, best, final” offer failed to receive a second at the library board meeting.
The city offer included funding the library with 3.5 mills by agreement from the general fund for the next two years, after that, the funding between the city’s general fund and the library would end.
Both negotiating parties had offered an initial contract period of 5 years, with the ability to renew or not renew annually.
