CAMARILLO : Votes on Library Issues Postponed

Decisions on whether to spend $49,400 to extend the hours of the Camarillo Public Library and to place a library tax on the city’s March primary ballot were postponed Wednesday by the Camarillo City Council.

Due to the absence of Councilman Ken Gose, the council voted to wait until its Sept. 13 meeting to vote on the two issues.

Councilwoman Charlotte Craven, who sits on the council’s library committee and is a supporter of the two measures, cast the sole vote against postponing the decision.

The proposal to pump $49,400 into the city’s library would add 11 hours weekly to the library’s hours through June.

The Camarillo branch, at 3100 Ponderosa Drive, is now open 40 hours a week.

Also, the council has until November to decide whether a library tax should be put before city residents for a vote.

Residents of Ventura, Ojai and nearby unincorporated county areas will vote in November on a $35 parcel tax dedicated to library services, but Camarillo officials expect a library parcel tax in their city to be less than $35 a parcel.

The Ventura County Library Services Agency’s budget has shrunk from $10 million to about $6 million over the past four years, forcing cuts in hours at the 16 branches.

The county agency funds 36 hours of operation at the Camarillo library, and several nonprofit organizations have donated funds to extend the library’s hours.