Assessment District for Library Urged

Representatives of the city’s Library Advisory Board plan to ask the City Council tonight to create an assessment district that would raise $1.2 million annually to keep Ventura’s struggling libraries open until a long-term solution to the county’s library crisis can be found.

Ventura voters rejected a parcel tax on the November ballot that would have provided much-needed funding for city branches.

Now, library supporters are pushing city leaders to come up with a long-term plan and short-term funding to keep three local branches open.

“The problem now is, you’re down to the topic of survival,” said Keith Burns, a member of the Library Advisory Council.

“The solution is going to take years,” Burns said. “It is better to have the libraries open while the process is continuing.”

Ventura County operates Foster, Wright and Avenue libraries, though the city of Ventura pays about $800,000 a year to fund the branches.

Those libraries need $1.2 million yearly or the county library system will be forced to close or consolidate them, Burns said. The Avenue branch is funded only through March and is slated for closure.

“The crisis has really hit home now,” he said. “And the city of Ventura--to use a baseball metaphor--needs to come to the plate or stay out of the game.”