Any unincorporated town or village of this state may establish, equip, and maintain a public library for the dissemination of knowledge of the arts, sciences, and general literature, in accordance with this chapter. Any unincorporated town or village of this state may also establish, equip, and maintain a public museum in accordance with this chapter.
Article 1Formation
Section § 19600
Unincorporated towns or villages in California can create and support public libraries and museums to promote learning in areas like arts, sciences, and literature.
unincorporated towns public library public museum dissemination of knowledge arts sciences general literature establish library maintain museum community education cultural resources California villages equip libraries support museums educational resources
Section § 19601
If 50 or more taxpayers and residents of an unincorporated town or village want to form a library district, they can submit a petition to the county's board of supervisors. The petition must include the proposed district's boundaries. Once the board receives the petition, they have 10 days to order an election so the community can vote on the formation of the library district.
Upon the application, by petition, of 50 or more taxpayers and residents of any unincorporated town or village to the board of supervisors in the county in which the town or village is located, for the formation of a library district, and setting forth the boundaries of the proposed district, the board of supervisors shall, within 10 days after receiving the petition, by resolution, order that an election be held in the proposed district for the determination of the question and shall conduct the election.
library district formation petition by residents unincorporated town village library district county board of supervisors election for library district proposed district boundaries community vote taxpayers residents library services local government community initiative public library forming districts
Section § 19603
This law outlines the process for notifying and analyzing a district formation election. After an election is called, the legislative body must notify the county's local agency formation commission within five days. This notice includes details about the proposed district. The commission's executive officer then has five days to prepare a neutral analysis of the proposed district, including its boundaries. This analysis, limited to 500 words, is reviewed by the commission, which must approve or modify it within another five days before sending it to election officials.
Within five days after the district formation election has been called, the legislative body which has called the election shall transmit, by registered mail, a written notification of the election call to the executive officer of the local agency formation commission of the county or principal county in which the territory or major portion of the territory of the proposed district is located. Such written notice shall include the name and a description of the proposed district, and may be in the form of a certified copy of the resolution adopted by the legislative body calling the district formation election.
The executive officer, within five days after being notified that a district formation election has been called, shall submit to the commission, for its approval or modification, an impartial analysis of the proposed district formation.
The impartial analysis shall not exceed 500 words in length and shall include a specific description of the boundaries of the district proposed to be formed.
The local agency formation commission, within five days after the receipt of the executive officer’s analysis, shall approve or modify the analysis and submit it to the officials in charge of conducting the district formation election.
district formation election legislative body notification local agency formation commission executive officer impartial analysis election notification district boundaries description 500-word limit approval or modification election officials
Section § 19604
This law allows the board of supervisors, authorized members, individual voters, or associations of citizens to submit written arguments for or against forming a new district. These arguments must be concise, no longer than 300 words, and submitted at least 54 days before the election deciding on the district's formation.
The board of supervisors or any member or members of the board authorized by the board, or any individual voter or bona fide association of citizens entitled to vote on the district formation proposition, or any combination of such voters and associations of citizens, may file a written argument for or a written argument against the proposed district formation.
Arguments shall not exceed 300 words in length and shall be filed with the officials in charge of conducting the election not less than 54 days prior to the date of the district formation election.
district formation board of supervisors voter arguments proposed district 300 words election deadline citizen associations written argument district formation election voter participation ballot arguments prior to election individual voter bona fide association
Section § 19605
This law explains how officials decide which arguments for and against a proposed district formation will be printed and distributed to voters. If there are multiple arguments, the officials must choose one from each side. They should prioritize arguments from the county's board of supervisors first, and then look at those submitted by individual voters or citizen groups.
If more than one argument for or more than one argument against the proposed district formation is filed with the election officials within the time prescribed, such election officials shall select one of the arguments for printing and distribution to the voters.
In selecting the arguments, the election officials shall give preference and priority in the order named to the arguments of the following:
(a)CA Education Code § 19605(a) The board of supervisors or any member or members of the board authorized by the board.
(b)CA Education Code § 19605(b) Individual voters or bona fide associations of citizens or a combination of such voters and associations.
district formation election officials arguments selection voter distribution board of supervisors individual voters citizen associations priority order proposed district argument printing
Section § 19608
This law explains how elections for a library district should be carried out. It says that these elections must follow the state's general election laws as much as possible, except when it comes to the ballot's wording and voting method. Specifically, the ballot must include the phrase 'For library district,' and voters need to indicate their choice by writing or printing 'Yes' or 'No' after that phrase.
The election shall be conducted in accordance with the general election laws of this state, where applicable, without reference to form of ballot or manner of voting, except that the ballots shall contain the words, “For library district,” and the voter shall write or print after the words on his ballot the word “Yes,” or the word “No.”
library district election ballot wording voter choice Yes or No general election laws manner of voting election procedures library district ballots writing vote printing vote
Section § 19610
The people running the election must tell the board of supervisors the election results within five days of the election happening.
The election officers shall report the result of the election to the board of supervisors within five days after the election.
election officers reporting results board of supervisors five days election results deadline election reporting notification requirement election timeline results submission supervisory board notification
Section § 19611
If most people vote to create a library district, the county board will officially set it up. They will then appoint five local residents who are eligible voters to act as the board of library trustees for that area.
If a majority of the votes at the election is in favor of a library district, the board of supervisors shall by resolution, establish the library district, and shall appoint five trustees, who shall be qualified electors and residents within the limits of the district, to be known as a board of library trustees of the town or village for which they are appointed.
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Section § 19612
If a position becomes vacant, the board of supervisors is responsible for appointing someone to serve for the remaining duration of the term.
Vacancies shall be filled by the board of supervisors by appointment for the unexpired term.
vacancies board of supervisors appointment unexpired term fill vacancies government positions term duration public office appointment supervisory board role unfilled terms local government appointed positions vacant positions term completion county management
Section § 19613
If most people vote against creating a library district, the board of supervisors has to officially declare it and no new efforts to create the district can happen for at least a year from when the request was first submitted.
If a majority of the votes cast is against a library district, the board of supervisors shall, by order, so declare, and no other proceedings shall be taken in relation thereto until the expiration of one year from the date of presentation of the petition.
library district board of supervisors vote against declare outcome proceedings halted one-year waiting period establishment petition public vote majority decision election results proposal rejection time restriction petition submission date official declaration voting outcome
Section § 19614
This law states that once a petition to create a library district is presented and an order is made to establish it with five trustees, this information goes into the official records. This entry serves as undeniable proof that everything was done correctly, confirming the petition was valid, the petitioners were qualified, and all procedures followed were orderly and legal.
The fact of the presentation of the petition, and the order establishing the library district and making the appointment of the five library trustees, shall be entered in the minutes of the board of supervisors and shall be conclusive evidence of the due presentation of a proper petition, and that each of the petitioners was, at the time of signature and presentation of the petition, a taxpayer and resident of the proposed district, and of the fact and regularity of all prior proceedings of every kind and nature provided for by this article and of the existence and validity of the district.
library district petition presentation five library trustees board of supervisors taxpayer and resident petition validation official records district establishment conclusive evidence regularity of proceedings trustee appointment proper petition order establishment petitioners qualifications existence and validity
