Council to Review Report on Library

Council members will review a report on the city’s library services tonight, but the City Council is expected to postpone a decision on whether to pull out of the financially troubled county system.

The council commissioned the $10,000 study in April after filing a formal notice of intent to withdraw from the county system six months earlier.

The recently completed study suggests that Irvine should consider withdrawing from the county system to protect and enhance services at its two libraries, in light of expected reductions in spending on county libraries.

County Librarian John M. Adams has asked city leaders to delay a vote on withdrawal until a League of Cities task force on libraries issues budget recommendations that may increase funding for Irvine’s two libraries. The city currently contributes $2.8 million a year to the county system but receives only $2.3 million a year in return for the Heritage Park and University Park libraries.

The Irvine library report examines a variety of alternatives to the county system, ranging from an exclusively city-run system to a countywide joint powers authority, similar in structure to the Orange County Fire Authority.

“I cannot see us moving ahead on any one of those alternatives until we have a chance to see what the county is going to offer us,” Councilman Greg Smith said.

City Manager Paul Brady said council members will likely wait until their Aug. 20 meeting to make a decision.

Adams said that if the city withdraws from the county system, he will recommend against the return of Irvine’s property tax dollars.

But Smith said the county would have a harder time refusing to return property tax money if Irvine forms a multi-city library district.

“If 10 to 15 cities came to the county at once and said, ‘We want out, we have a better idea,’ the county would be hard-pressed to say no,” Smith said.