Library Ad Hoc Committee Facilitation

The Santa Barbara County Library Ad Hoc Committee was established by the Board of Supervisors to find a sustainable and equitable model for county libraries. Members of the committee include two County Supervisors, four Library Directors, one member of a library Friends group, one Library Advisory Committee member, and the Director of the County Community Services Department. 

Early in the process, the committee recognized the challenges ahead and invited LegacyWorks Group to facilitate the process. During Phase I of the project, the committee worked on defining principles, building trust, identifying challenges and needs, and a funding formula to address critical budget deficits in Fiscal Year 2019-2020. Subsequent phases of the project went deeper with working groups focused on benchmarking data for establishing minimum levels of service, exploring options and obstacles for new tax revenue, updating the County’s library agreement with cities who manage county libraries, and reviewing alternative governance options. Future efforts identified by the committee as next steps, but not yet in process, include designing and implementing polling to gauge public interest in a new tax to support libraries, addressing key questions related to tax measure design, addressing key questions related to a potential Finance Joint Powers Authority Design.

For more detail on the Committee’s work through 2021 visit our Library Ad Hoc Committee Archive.