Stronger Libraries =
Stronger Communities
We are proposing a library district to unite the Hailey Public Library and the Bellevue Public Library.
A YES vote creates the Big Wood River Library District — a single, voter-approved permanent levy that protects and sustains library services for Hailey, Bellevue, and surrounding county residents — one district, serving our community.
Why Now?
Our libraries are at a crossroads — and the decisions we make today will determine the sustainability of their future:
Funding is limited and competitive: City budgets cannot keep pace with growing demand for all critical services, and libraries are vying for funding and facing more cuts.
Bellevue Library is at risk: Funding has already been cut, hours reduced, and without a dedicated district, services could shrink further or even face closure.
Hailey Library is at capacity: Diminishing budgets and growing demand from students, families, and residents exceeds current resources, limiting programs, staffing, and access.
Rural residents face barriers: Families and neighbors outside city limits do not have free access to library services.
A YES vote forms the proposed Big Wood River Library District, creating stable, predictable funding that protects our libraries, expands access, and ensures every resident benefits from literacy, technology, and community connection.
Proven Model
Library districts are the most common model for sustaining public libraries in Idaho, with 69 districts already serving communities across the state providing stable, locally controlled funding that grows with community needs. As shown, the Big Wood River Library District would be surrounded by library districts.
Library districts are the standard model for ensuring long term public library access across both rural and urban Idaho.
Proposed Big Wood River Library District
Why a Yes Vote Matters
What a YES Vote Means:
A YES vote protects the future of our libraries and ensures reliable, sustainable services to meet the growing needs of the community.
A Yes Vote:
Creates the Big Wood River Library District with stable, voter-approved funding that libraries can rely on year to year
Helps prevent further service reductions in Bellevue and protects access for families across the southern valley
Gives both libraries the ability to maintain hours, staffing, and core programs as demand continues to grow
Removes residency barriers so all district residents receive equal access to library services
Consolidates services reducing operational overhead that allows those savings to be reinvested into a growing, unified collection
Promotes strategic long-term planning
Safeguards our 100+ year old institutions that thousands of residents rely on every week
What a NO Vote Means
A NO vote keeps libraries in the same unstable funding structure that has already led to reduced hours and the risk of closure.
Without a district:
Libraries must continue competing with other city priorities for funding each year
Service levels will not keep pace with population growth and rising demand
Hours, staffing, programs, and collections face reduction
Rural residents continue facing limited or unequal access
Long-term planning for technology, staffing, and facilities remains difficult or impossible
Libraries will continue operating, but with less capacity to serve the community as needs grow
The Bellevue Public Library remains at risk of further reductions or possible closure
Levy Impact & Transparency
What does this mean for homeowners?
Estimated levy: $28 per $100,000 of taxable value (after Idaho Homeowner’s Exemption)
Under Idaho Code § 33-2724, our library district is legally authorized to set a levy rate of up to $60 per $100,000 of taxable value (0.0006) for maintenance and operations. This estimated levy of $28 per $100,000 is well below the legal maximum of $60.
For detailed property info or GIS maps visit: Blaine County GIS
Questions about your assessed value: 208-788-5535 (Blaine County Assessor)
Important Election Day Information
Monday
April 27, 2026
Early Voting Begins
Tuesday
May 19, 2026
is Election Day
For voting information, visit voteidaho.gov
Community Impact in 2025
For over 100 years, the Hailey and Bellevue Public Libraries have served this community.
A library district protects and strengthens that legacy for now and for the next generation.
That’s more than 300 visits every single day — kids learning, families connecting, neighbors meeting, and students studying.
Our collection goes beyond books to include movies, hotspots, board games, puzzles, sewing machines, and learning tools for young readers — resources families rely on every week.
Classes, engaging workshops, events, and talks help adults build skills, explore interests, and stay connected.
Youth programs are offered six days a week to support early learning, literacy and family engagement.
We are a vital tech and resource hub offering reliable WIFI, computer access, printing & scanning, private study/work spaces, exam proctoring, telehealth visits, job search assistance, and reference.
Student and adult volunteers, the Library Board, and Friends of the Library are essential to keeping the library running — supporting events and maintaining the collections our community relies on every day.
