By Khalida Sarwari
Santa Clara County voters have received ballots in the mail for a county library district parcel tax measure. The initiative, which is up for renewal, is essential in maintaining services and programs at local libraries, according to officials.
The ballot initiative, known as Measure A, continues community funding for the nine libraries in the Santa Clara County Library District at existing rates with no increase in taxes. The current rate is $33.66 per year for a single-family home. The parcel tax has been in place for 20 years, and Measure A would extend it for another 20 years.
Local library officials say the funds will help libraries buy books and up-to-date research materials, maintain library hours and services, keep librarians, continue summer student reading programs and provide a bookmobile program to bring books to seniors, the disabled and others.
“Right now it’s 18 percent of our revenue,” Saratoga community librarian Gayathri Kanth said, adding that the parcel tax provides the revenue to pay for one in four materials the library purchases, whether it’s a book or another item.
Should the measure fail and the library face staffing cuts, “we won’t [be able to] do much–especially the library fair, which takes a lot to accomplish,” said Kanth.
According to Kanth, funding from Measure A has helped libraries provide students with up-to-date research materials to complete school or college assignments, summer reading programs, homework help and SAT test preparation, science programs for elementary school kids, toddler and preschool story times and teen book clubs and activities for youth.
She went on to say that without Measure A funding, local libraries will be forced to implement significant cuts, not only to those and other programs and services, but they would also have to lay off staff, reduce or eliminate library programs for children, teens and seniors, and cut special events for the community. Libraries would purchase fewer books and databases and close libraries for an additional day to day-and-a-half each week.
The city councils representing all the nine municipalities in the library district have voted to support Measure A, according to deputy county librarian Derek Wolfgram. The district serves residents in the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County and the communities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill and Saratoga.
The Cities Association of Santa Clara County has also voted to support the measure, he said. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is expected to consider a resolution at its Aug. 13 meeting.
Measure A requires a two-thirds vote to pass. Ballots were mailed to voters in late July and must be returned by Aug. 27. Measure A is the only issue on the ballot.
