Two library districts settle feud

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 | 8:58 a.m.

The Henderson and Las Vegas-Clark County library districts have resolved their battle over boundaries.

The agreement between the two districts was reached after the Henderson district dropped its bill in the Nevada Legislature that would have allowed its boundaries to mirror those of the city since 1995.

Under the agreement backed Tuesday by the Henderson City Council, the county library district will give up territory in western Henderson, effective July 1. The boundaries would also be adjusted by Clark County commissioners as Henderson annexes new territory on undeveloped land owned by the Bureau of Land Management.

In return, the Henderson district will take over the operation of the Green Valley Library branch in northwest Henderson at a cost of $1.2 million a year, starting in January 2009. The county district will continue to collect tax revenues in that area of Henderson until then.

The Henderson City Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution supporting the adjustment of boundaries, which was approved last week between the Henderson and county districts.

"This will make it much easier for people who live in Henderson to know they go to the Henderson district," said Councilman Steven Kirk whose district includes western parts of Henderson. "Going to Clark Clark County didn't make much sense."

Last year, the two districts were embroiled in a dispute when the Henderson district was trying to secure a site for a new library, about 1 1/2 miles south of the Henderson Executive Terminal. Before a deal was worked out, Henderson submitted a bill draft for boundary changes that would have settled which district gets to serve patrons and collect tax revenues from new residents.

The county district opposed the boundary change because it would have lost future sources of revenue in Henderson while providing services for that city's residents as it does now at the Green Valley branch, said Daniel Walters, executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County district. He also said it made it difficult to plan if boundaries were suddenly changed.

"This enables both of our districts for the purpose of planning to serve our growing populations and know where the boundaries are going to be over the long haul," Walters said of the agreement. "When you have a large area to serve, it makes it more difficult to make an investment when the boundaries may shift."

The boundaries of the library districts are defined by the Legislature, and Walters said they were set in the 1980s before rapid growth changed Henderson's boundary. In 2001, the Las Vegas-Clark County district transferred the Anthem subdivision into the Henderson district.

Walters said the boundaries were so antiquated that one Henderson home was split down the middle between the two districts.

Henderson Library District Director Thomas Fay said the boundary adjustment makes sense because it allows Las Vegas-Clark County to focus on development in the northwest part of its district. The Henderson district will benefit because it will eliminate confusion among the city's residents about which district they fall in, Fay said.

"It is easier for people to know who their government is," Fay said. "That will make it easier if there is a bond campaign or tax initiative.

Henderson residents that become part of the district will also save money on their tax bills. The Henderson district taxes at a rate of 5.33 cents per $100 valuation compared to 8.73 cents per $100 valuation in the county district.

The Green Valley branch, which opened in 1988, won't be transferred until 2009 to give the Henderson district more time to build an opening day collection, Fay said. It will also give Las Vegas-Clark County more time to build another library in the district where it will transfer the staff and collection.

The library will be closed temporarily for the transition, Fay said.

The Henderson district has four libraries and a $6.5 million annual budget.