A library district may be organized, as provided in this chapter. The library district may establish, equip, and maintain a public library for the dissemination of knowledge of the arts, sciences, and general literature and may exercise the powers granted or necessarily implied pursuant to this chapter.
Article 1Formation, Annexation, Dissolution
Section § 19400
This law allows for the creation of a library district that can set up and run a public library. The purpose is to spread knowledge about arts, sciences, and general literature, using the powers described in this chapter.
library district public library arts sciences general literature knowledge dissemination establish library equip library maintain library chapter provisions powers granted implied powers
Section § 19401
A library district can include areas that are either part of a city or not, or both, in multiple counties. However, all areas within the district must be connected, and a city's boundaries can't be split up by the district lines.
The library district may include incorporated or unincorporated territory, or both, in any one or more counties, so long as the territory of the district consists of contiguous parcels and the territory of no city is divided.
library district incorporated territory unincorporated territory multiple counties contiguous parcels territory boundaries city division geographical inclusion district formation county inclusion territorial integrity municipal boundaries territory consistency library service areas district configuration
Section § 19402
If people want to create a new library district, they can submit a petition at a regular county board meeting where most of the land for the proposed district is located. The petition must state whether the district will have three or five trustees. The county board that receives the petition is the one responsible for supervising the process.
Whenever the formation of a library district is desired, a petition which may consist of any number of instruments, may be presented at a regular meeting of the board of supervisors of the county in which is located the largest proportionate value of the lands within the proposed district as shown by the last equalized county assessment roll. The petition shall specify whether the proposed library district shall be governed by a three-member board of library trustees or by a five-member board of library trustees. The board of supervisors to whom the petition is presented is designated in this chapter as the supervising board of supervisors.
library district formation petition submission county board of supervisors library trustees three-member board five-member board supervising board equalized county assessment roll land value proposed district regular meeting trustee governance library governance petition process
Section § 19403
To create a new library district, a petition must be signed by enough registered voters living in the area to equal at least 5 percent of the votes from the last state election where a Governor was chosen.
The petition shall be signed by registered voters residing within the proposed library district equal in number to at least 5 percent of the number of votes cast in the territory comprising the proposed district at the last preceding general state election at which a Governor was elected.
library district formation petition signature requirement registered voters voter percentage state election Governor election proposed district territory votes creating a district minimum signatures community involvement
Section § 19404
This section explains that when you file and go through a hearing for a petition, you need to follow specific rules laid out in certain sections of the Government Code. Those sections will guide the process and procedures you need to adhere to.
The proceedings for the filing and hearing of the petition are governed and controlled by the provisions of Sections 58032, 58033, 58034, 58060, and 58061 of the Government Code.
petition filing procedure hearing rules Government Code Sections 58032 58033 58034 58060 58061 procedural guidelines petition process filing requirements hearing specifications legal procedures rules for petitions governing provisions
Section § 19405
This section says that when you're having a final hearing about setting up a new district, you need to follow some specific rules found in certain parts of the Government Code, specifically starting from Sections 58090, 58130, and 58200.
The proceedings for final hearing of the petition and the formation of the district are governed and controlled by the provisions of Article 4 (commencing with Section 58090), Article 5 (commencing with Section 58130), and Article 7 (commencing with Section 58200) of Chapter 1 of Title 6 of the Government Code.
final hearing petition district formation government code Article 4 Section 58090 Article 5 Section 58130 Article 7 Section 58200 provisions controlled proceedings Title 6 Chapter 1
Section § 19406
If 50% or more of registered voters in an area proposed for a new district protest in writing, the process to create the district will be stopped.
On the filing of written protests by registered voters residing in the proposed district equal in number to at least 50 percent of the number of votes cast in the territory comprising the proposed district at the last preceding general state election at which a Governor was elected, the proceeding for the formation of the district shall be terminated as provided in Sections 58103 and 58104 of the Government Code.
written protests registered voters proposed district terminate proceedings general state election Governor election district formation 50 percent threshold voter opposition discontinued process Sections 58103 and 58104 Government Code election votes territorial proposal procedural termination
Section § 19407
If you want to create a library district that spans more than one county, you need to get official approval from the board of supervisors of each county involved and from the government of each city that will be part of the district.
No library district including territory in more than one county shall be organized under this chapter without the concurrent consent by resolution of each board of supervisors involved, as well as the consent of the governing body of each city to be included.
library district multi-county board of supervisors city consent concurrent consent governing body approval library organization cross-county district county board resolution city inclusion consent
