Douglas County Libraries proposes $11.15 million for Sterling Ranch; director recommends two-branch consolidation
The board is scheduled to review the preliminary 2027 budget Sept. 30. The executive director recommends moving Louviers and Roxborough library operations to the planned branch, but the board has not adopted that recommendation.
Douglas County Libraries’ preliminary 2027 budget sets aside $11,151,889 for Sterling Ranch construction, while the executive director recommends moving Louviers and Roxborough library operations to the planned branch. The board is scheduled to review the draft Sept. 30. That is an initial review, not an adopted budget or consolidation decision. A formal presentation is planned for an October board meeting; the schedule lists a study session and business meeting for Oct. 28.
The proposed budget includes 17 additional full-time positions: 12 in customer experience, two in community engagement and three supporting infrastructure services. The positions would support the planned branch opening and other infrastructure needs. The packet estimates the Sterling Ranch project will be completed around July 2027.
The budget projects about $41.68 million in property-tax revenue, roughly $5.08 million more than the 2026 budget. The district attributes much of the difference to a $5 million taxpayer rebate included in the prior-year budget, so the increase does not represent only new revenue growth.
The executive director’s memo presents alternatives for both communities, including keeping current service, switching to self-service or introducing mobile service. For Louviers, another option is upgrading service as a small-community library. The memo says keeping either existing branch or choosing an alternative would require budget changes. Roxborough’s lease runs through Dec. 31, 2027, and keeping that location would require extending it.
The Louviers library is on the second floor of a building that the memo says does not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is about five miles by car from Sterling Ranch. Roxborough’s current branch is about 3.8 miles away, and the memo says the county plans to extend its Link transportation service to Sterling Ranch for customers who cannot drive. The packet describes no comparable transportation plan for Louviers. The Roxborough Metro District has expressed interest in providing community space to support a library presence there.
The packet does not set a date for either branch’s service transition.