Mission Viejo May Get Out of Library System : Politics: City officials say its facility is Southland’s worst. They want county to either build a new one or hand over funds collected from city taxpayers.

City officials say this planned community might become the first city to secede from the Orange County library system now that a new report confirms what many residents have been saying for years: that the local branch library is the worst in Southern California.

The report also states that at least $4.5 million in tax revenue from Mission Viejo residents has been spent to support other county libraries, a contention that is disputed by county officials.

“There are a whole generation of children in Mission Viejo who are growing up without a decent library, and we can’t permit that to happen,” City Councilman Robert D. Breton said.

The City Council has called a special meeting for Wednesday to discuss the possibility of separating Mission Viejo’s library from the 27-branch county library system, which has cut back operating hours countywide because of budget troubles in recent months.

No one, including county officials, disputes that the Mission Viejo branch library is woefully undersized. Built in 1972 when the community had a population of 15,000, the 9,155-square-foot building now serves 82,000 Mission Viejo residents and another 24,000 in Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo and Leisure World.

County officials say they are willing to sell the current building and contribute the proceeds--about $1 million--to building a new branch library. But efforts to start the library project have bogged down over the county officials’ contention that they won’t be solely responsible for constructing libraries in incorporated cities.

A city-commissioned library report released Friday showed that most of the Mission Viejo library’s problems relate directly to lack of space. The report found that:

* Only 49 programs for children were held last year, none for adults. The average for a library in a community the size of Mission Viejo is 317 programs for adults and children.

* The state standard for libraries is one-half square foot per community resident. The county’s benchmark is two-tenths of a square foot. In Mission Viejo, the library is about half the county standard.

* The branch has only 34 parking spaces, including staff parking. Patrons often park several hundred feet down the street or circle the building, waiting for someone to leave.

* The 22-year-old building is not fitted for new technology that many libraries now have.

“It cannot accommodate modern technology,” said Barbara Pearson, the head librarian in El Segundo who compiled the report.

And too often, city officials say, books gather dust in storage areas because there is no more room on the shelves.

After Pearson gave a verbal preview of the report last week, Councilwoman Sharon Cody turned to the consultant and asked: “In your opinion, is this the worst library in the Southland?”

Pearson replied, “Yes.”

Even before incorporating in 1988, Mission Viejo has pressed the county to build a new library. The city has spent $2.5 million to buy land for a library and commissioned drawings for a 25,000-square-foot building at La Paz Road and Marguerite Parkway that will cost an estimated $5 million.

However, a Mission Viejo ballot proposal to sell bonds to pay for the building was rejected by residents in 1992. Although 56% of voters approved the measure, the initiative needed a two-thirds vote to pass.

County officials have agreed to sell the current library building on Chrisanta Road and apply the money to the project. But hit with a 34% cut in state revenue last year, the embattled county library system doesn’t have enough money to be responsible for building libraries in incorporated communities, library officials say.

“The county has been willing for some time to participate in the building of a library” in Mission Viejo, County Librarian John Adams said Friday. “However, the city is under the perception that the county has an obligation to building a library in an incorporated community. That has not been our policy.”

But city officials say the report shows residents have already paid for another library.

A supplemental report compiled by city staff shows that Mission Viejo taxpayers have contributed $4.5 million to a special county fund since 1988.

The county “has been using Mission Viejo taxpayers’ money to subsidize their other libraries,” said Councilman Breton, who also sits on the city library committee. “We do believe they have an obligation to build a new library.”

However, Adams said the special fund also is used for flood control and fire service. In recent years, the County Board of Supervisors has channeled the money into the County Fire Department.

“That’s how the supervisors have prioritized the special district funds,” Adams said.

Whether Mission Viejo secedes from the library system depends on whether county officials can be convinced to turn over Mission Viejo tax revenue to the city, city officials said.

Taxpayers in cities that don’t run their own libraries pay into a library district administered by the county. Property owners also were taxed for the special fund until July, when the fund was eliminated by the state.

City officials say they might be able to legally gain control of the portion of library district funds paid by Mission Viejo taxpayers, but admit that it’s a gray legal area.

The city and county also differ on the costs of running the Mission Viejo branch. According to Adams, Mission Viejo taxpayers paid about $800,000 into the library system during the 1992-93 budget year, while operating costs for the local branch ran just over $1 million.

However, city figures received from the county accounting office show that about $980,000 was paid into the library district by Mission Viejo taxpayers during that period. The consultant estimated the branch could be run for $837,000 annually.

Four Mission Viejo council members have said they favor taking over the branch, but not without tax revenue to pay operating costs.

“We’d have to be very cautious about taking over the library,” Councilman William S. Craycraft said. “We’d have to have a lot more than two figures (tax revenue and operation costs) to make a decision.”

Mission Viejo isn’t the only South County city looking for help from the county.

Lake Forest officials say their library is undersized, and expansion may become an issue in the future. Laguna Hills is the only city in the county without a library, and city staff are preparing a report on the issue that will go before the City Council in March.

A Mission Viejo library report shows that eight of 14 South County libraries will be undersized by county standards as the fast-growing communities continue to expand over the next 10 years.

The future of their libraries may rest on what happens in Mission Viejo, city officials say.

“We’ve gotten the information we need,” Mayor Susan Withrow said. “Now it’s up to the county as to whether they’re going to cooperate with us. It’s a matter of fair play now.”