Great Falls Public Library to Restart Negotiations with Commission on New City/Library Agreement

The Great Falls Public Library Board of Trustees was informed this week that Mayor Cory Reeves and the City of Great Falls Renegotiation Committee are open to an alternative to the previous City/Library Management Agreement. The attorney for the Library Renegotiation Committee, Bill Bronson, said in an email, "In the wake of the Library Board of Trustees' decision to send an alternate proposal to the City Commission, in response to what was previously presented to us as their "last, best, final offer," we have been advised the City Commission is willing to reopen negotiations. We welcome this decision by the Commission. The parties are currently planning to meet after the first of October to continue negotiations. We will keep the public apprised of the results of our conversations." In March 2024, the City requested the Library open the current agreement for negotiations to help find possible sources of funding for public safety needs. The City Renegotiation Committee (City Manager Greg Doyon, City Commissioners Joe McKenney, and Susan Wolfe, and City Attorney David Dennis) and the Library Renegotiation Committee (Director Susie McIntyre, board members Whitney Olson and Anne Bulger, and attorney Bill Bronson) have been meeting over the last five months. On August 28, the City Renegotiation Committee presented their “last, best, final offer” which included taking back seven mills by 2027. But the Library Board, at their special meeting on Sept. 5, voted 3-1 to counter the City's proposal to take those mills as part of the 1993 agreement made between the Council and the Library. The board’s proposal would reduce the library funding by 2.5 mills, or about $300,000 annually.As stated above by Attorney Bronson, the two sides are likely to meet early in October. For more on the previous Special Meeting and all of the recent board meetings, visit the Library Website at https://greatfallslibrary.org/library-board-of-trustees/. The Library Board of Trustees meets again on Oct. 1 at 4:30 pm in the Cordingley Room.