Measure L support is a vote for city’s future

The citizens of Burbank have an unprecedented opportunity to add

to its reputation as a world-class city. A vote for Measure L on Feb.

25 is the first step in adding two new libraries to the city.

Prop. 14, passed in 2000, provides construction dollars for new

libraries. The state provides two-thirds of the funding for new

construction while our obligation is the balance of one-third. We owe

it to our children to apply for those funds. If we don’t go after the

bond money for library construction, other cities will benefit and we

will be stuck with two woefully out-of-date libraries.

The new Buena Vista Branch Library gives us a glimpse of what we

could have for the Central Library and the Northwest Branch Library

locations. It took the city 17 years to accumulate the funds for the

Buena Vista Branch Library, but we have an opportunity to get two new

state-of-the-art libraries for one-third the cost, in a fourth of the

time. It’s a bargain we can’t afford to pass up. It’s a gift to

ourselves and our neighbors.

If we don’t pass Measure L on Feb. 25, we will spend the next 20

years trying to find the funds to rebuild our libraries (at full

cost.) Our children and grandchildren deserve better.

I urge everyone to vote “yes” on Measure L.

TILLIE J. BAPTIE

Member, Measure L

Committee