Library Officials Planning to Solicit Funds in Tax Bills : Finances: County will ask for permission to request money from property owners through mail. They hope to raise at least $30,000.

Intensifying their fund-raising efforts, Ventura County library officials want to solicit donations from county property owners by slipping a request for dollars in biannual property tax bills.

County officials hope to raise at least $30,000 from taxpayers to shore up the deteriorating 15-branch library system, shortchanged by the Legislature this year.

Library officials will ask the Board of Supervisors today to include donation forms with the October mailing of 214,000 property tax bills.

“The library’s budget situation is very difficult,” county librarian Dixie D. Adeniran said. “This is a vehicle for getting the request for donations to a very large number of people at a very modest cost.”

Adeniran estimates it will cost the county about $700 to print the donation forms. She said the expense will be paid by interest earned on contributions.

If approved by the board, donation slips will be the first ever sent along with county property tax bills.

“It gives people a chance to donate if they wish to,” said Supervisor Maggie Kildee. “Surely there is a great deal of interest in supporting the library.”

But Supervisor John K. Flynn said he has misgivings about soliciting property owners for donations.

“It looks like the government is begging, and I don’t like that,” Flynn said. “A property tax bill is a property tax bill. I don’t think we should use it for any other purpose. We must maintain the integrity of the property tax system.”

Adeniran said she is simply looking for as many methods as possible to raise funds for the libraries.

“Many property owners use the library system,” Adeniran said. “This is an opportunity to place before them the library’s situation and to ask if they will help.”

This year, the state opted to cut the library’s budget by $3.3 million--or 40% of its funding.

The supervisors voted to transfer $1.6 million from the county’s General Fund to help buffer the blow, but the library system was still forced to make sharp cutbacks.

Library hours were reduced, 44 positions were cut, and most funding for new books and materials was eliminated.

The Camarillo and Simi Valley libraries were cut from 54 hours a week to 28 hours. The Foster and Wright libraries in Ventura were cut from 54 hours a week to 30 hours.

The libraries in Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai and Port Hueneme now operate 20 hours a week, down from 51 hours.

And smaller libraries in Ventura, El Rio, Meiners Oaks, Oak View and Piru now only operate eight to 14 hours a week.

Many branches are closed on certain days.

Adeniran said she is hopeful that operating hours at some of the libraries can be expanded if fund-raising efforts are successful. So far this year, about $200,000 in private donations has been raised for the libraries.

Library officials also are lobbying public schools, community colleges and cities for financial assistance to help cover the budget cuts. Adeniran said she plans to meet with representatives from schools and cities over the next two months to discuss fund-raising efforts.

“The library system is in a crisis situation,” Supervisor Maria VanderKolk said. “Right now the donations are needed for survival. I don’t think that situation is going to go away.

“If people choose to support the libraries, by all means we should give them the ability to do that.”