City Backs Proposed Library Authority

Saying they were committed to supporting their local library, City Council members agreed Wednesday to participate in a proposed joint-powers authority meant to give cities more control over the branches. But council members held off from approving a proposed countywide property tax to raise money for the library system.

County officials have asked several cities if they would support proposing the establishment of a countywide benefit assessment district for libraries on the November ballot. The county’s library budget has been slashed from about $10 million a year to $5.8 million. County officials say there is no money to support the smaller branches.

But Moorpark officials said Wednesday night they could not support a new assessment district without knowing how the money would be spent. If approved, the assessment would add an estimated $25 to $30 to a homeowner’s annual property taxes.

The Moorpark City Council, however, did support a county-sponsored management audit of the Library Services Administration to show how the agency allocates money.

“It would be premature to support a benefit assessment district without knowing the outcome of that study,” Councilman John Wozniak told local library supporters.

City officials said Moorpark residents already pay about $350,000 in taxes to support library services, but only get back a fraction to fund the city’s library. The new tax would add $200,000 to the amount Moorpark residents pay for library services.

Although the long-awaited expansion of the city’s library is under way, officials said the new facility will have empty bookshelves and be open only about 24 hours a week.

Moorpark officials said Wednesday night that at the very least they want to maintain existing services in the city’s library.