I’m going to attempt a little right-brain structure to help Baldwin City area residents with the Gordian knot that is the current state of the proposed Baldwin City community center. Many of the complexities were explained in Tuesday’s story on the Baldwin City school board, but a few were omitted because of deadline pressure.

The following is a more complete accounting of the issue that involves two funding mechanisms, two taxing jurisdictions, two boards and one council.

• Some residents are said to be confused as to why the school board is involved in the issue, beyond its agreement to donate land for the center should voters green-light the project. The answer is that the nonelected Baldwin City Recreational Commission board has no taxing authority. That is why the BCRC has a longstanding agreement that the school board approve 4 mills for annual operational expenses and 1 mill for employee salaries and benefits. That is also why the BCRC asked the school board to approve 2.75 mills to help pay for half of the $5 million community center’s construction through a 20-year note.

It is important to note the school district has a larger tax base than the city, meaning the 2.75 mills will raise about twice the revenue.

• The Baldwin City Council has approved putting a referendum on a half-cent sales tax before voters on Feb. 7, 2017, which would provide the other half of the $5 million needed for the community center. It would become effective in May.

• The BCRC will pay for the Feb. 7 referendum.

• The state statute permitting the school board to approve taxing authority for the BCRC doesn’t allow it to rescind that authority. That can only be done through a districtwide referendum scheduled in response to a successful protest petition of 5 percent of district voters. Such a petition can be filed within 30 days of publication of the board’s intention to grant the 2.75 mill levy authority.

Protest petitions can be filed annually. However (and you know there had to be a however), there can be no referendum on the added taxing authority once it is being used to retire debt.

• The Baldwin City school board does not have the authority to attach conditions to the added taxing authority, including the obvious one that the tax would only become effective with the approval of the city sales tax. It also has no authority to insist the BCRC board not make use of the added authority.

• Considering all the above and the understanding the public probably isn’t educated on all these twists, the Baldwin City school board decided to table action of the BCRC’s request for the added mill levy authority until Sept. 19. At that time it will consider three options, which are to do nothing, approve the request or pass a nonbinding resolution expressing the board’s intention of approving the added authority if city voters approve the sales tax.

• That last option does set up the less than desirable possibility of a successful protest petition forcing a second costly referendum on the mill levy authority. Because of the larger and different demographic of the school district’s voters, there is no guarantee of the same result. That also could be the case should the two referendums be held on the same date.

That doesn’t mean the city would collect the sales tax without the other half of the funding available, because the council would have to pass another resolution enacting its collection.

When last we checked in with Eudora Public Library Director Carol Wohlford in late May on the proposed new library to replace the 2,500-square-foot current facility, she reported the library board was about ready to hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study on the ability to raise private funds for the project. In an update Thursday to the Eudora Chamber of Commerce, Wohlford reported the feasibility study was completed and the consultant wrote that the “firm” community support for a new library was stronger than any she’d ever studied. Moreover, eight significant donors pledged to contribute to the project when contacted by the consultant.

Wohlford also shared with the chamber the first conceptual floor plans for the new library to be built across the street from the current facility. In addition to the expected library shelving and reading areas, the plans show a community room/art gallery with adjacent kitchen, children’s library, adult quiet area, small “coffee spot,” work rooms and study rooms.

The estimated cost to construct the 10,000- to 13,000-square-foot proposed library is $2.8 million. Armed with the encouraging feasibility study, Wohlford said the library board hoped to raise $500,000 to $1 million from private donations to reduce the amount of a future bond issue. She would start that fundraising campaign at the first of the year, she said.

The conceptual plans are now on display at the library, Wohlford said. She encourages residents to visit the library to view them and then share ideas for what they would like to see in a new facility.

The library board is exploring a build, lease, buy arrangement for the proposal, Wohlford said. She estimated it would take from three to five years to open the new building.