$90-Million Library Bond Issue Is Ordered Drafted

For the second time this year, the Los Angeles City Council took steps Friday to place a $90-million library bond issue before voters to help restore the fire-ravaged Central Library, reinforce seismically unsafe branches and build new library facilities.

On an 11-2 vote, the council ordered the drafting of ballot language to place the bond issue on the Nov. 8 ballot, where it would require at least a two-thirds approval for passage. In all, 29 library facilities would receive funding under the measure.

Councilman Nate Holden, one of the two dissenting votes, vowed to oppose the ballot measure because he does not like the proposed financing package. He particularly objected to a provision allowing developers to own the Central Library in a lease-back arrangement in which the city could repurchase the facility after 25 years.

Holden said city officials had promised him that before proposing a bond measure, they would first devise an alternative for financing the Central Library restoration.

“When you come in with a full funding package on how to finance the Central Library, then I will support it,” Holden said. “But if you don’t, I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to kill this bond issue.”

Holden’s comments prompted a sarcastic retort from Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky.

“It takes a real man to want to kill a bond issue that takes a two-thirds vote,” Yaroslavsky said. “In my opinion, it’s an insult to (the council) and an insult to the public to try and make something out of nothing and to try and make a big political issue out of something that just isn’t.”

Noting past difficulties in winning the necessary two-thirds backing for bond issues, Yaroslavsky warned Holden that if he actively opposes the library funding, the measure will fail.

“There is no question that one individual can ruin the library system for the entire city,” Yaroslavsky said. “I am not about to allow the downtown library to crumble. Maybe there is one member who is, but I’m not.”

Yaroslavsky also warned that he will oppose Holden’s attempts to install sprinklers in city buildings if Holden fights efforts to make the branch libraries earthquake safe.

The proposed 30-year bond measure would cost the owner of a $110,000 home about $8.30 a year in added property assessments.

More than one-third of the $90 million--$36.6 million--would finance the city’s portion of the restoration and expansion of the downtown Central Library that was heavily damaged by fire on April 29, 1986. The balance of the $151.5-million project is expected to be paid for by downtown redevelopment tax revenues.

An $8.9-million portion of the bond revenues would help upgrade 16 branch libraries that have been deemed seismically unsafe. Three of them have been shut down until they can be reinforced.

The bond issue would include about $43 million to build three new branches in the San Fernando Valley, as well as to expand and improve 10 other branches scattered throughout the city.

Backers of the library bond measure hope that there will be widespread voter support because the $90 million would be spent in all parts of the city.

In addition to having to win approval of two-thirds of the voters, the measure will face other hurdles, officials acknowledged. One is a $75-million statewide library construction bond issue that local voters could confuse with the city measure.