Budget
Baker County Library District is almost entirely funded (95%) by taxpayers of Baker County through property taxes assessed on Baker County lands.
The remaining 5% comes from:
- Interest earnings (3%)
- Fines & fees (1%)
- State and federal grants (1%)
- Donations and private grants (1%)
The majority of property tax revenues (62%) come from a permanent property tax base, set at a rate of $0.554 per $1,000 of assessed property value within the county. This stable funding source was established in 1988 when voters approved the formation of the library district.
To supplement the permanent tax base, the district also receives revenue from a voter-approved 5-year local option levy, currently set at $0.249 per $1,000. This levy provides approximately 30% of the district’s total tax revenue. Combined, the two rates generate around $1.8 million annually to support operations of the district’s six branch libraries and bookmobile.
Beyond tax revenue, the library receives additional funding from a variety of sources, including federal and state grants (1.5%), interest earnings, fines and fees, private grants and charitable donations. Much of the fundraising is led by the district’s two dedicated support organizations: Friends of the Baker County Library and the Baker County Library Foundation.
In addition, indirect funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) federal agency distributed to states through block grants are critical to support regional and statewide services such as premium database access and interlibrary loan courier networks.
For detailed information about the district's revenues and expenditures, please refer to the budgets: