Gilroy
– A year after rejecting a property tax renewal to support the
county’s library system, voters will once again be asked to extend
a decade-old parcel tax that provides 20 percent of the system’s
operating budget.
Gilroy – A year after rejecting a property tax renewal to support the county’s library system, voters will once again be asked to extend a decade-old parcel tax that provides 20 percent of the system’s operating budget.
The mail-in ballot will have two questions. Measure A would extend the present annual tax of $33.66 for another 10 years. Measure B would assess each parcel an additional $12 a year. Librarians say the renewal is needed to maintain what is a steadily deteriorating financial outlook. The additional levy would allow the system’s nine libraries to reopen on Mondays and restore cuts to the libraries’ books and materials budgets.
“Dollar for dollar we provide more direct public services than most other agencies,” Gilroy Librarian Lani Yoshimura said Thursday. Gilroy is one of two county hosts of the Vision Literacy program for adults. The library also has a number of computers that patrons can use as word processors or to browse the Internet.
“We have people here from all over the world who use the Internet to commune with their families,” Yoshimura said.
The current tax raises $5.4 million annually for the budget of the Santa Clara County Library District Joint Powers Authority. That revenue is ever more critical because libraries have lost some state funding and revenue from vehicle registration taxes.
Last year, a $1.1 million budget shortfall forced all nine libraries to close on Mondays. Yoshimura said that if the ballot measures fail, libraries will be forced to close their doors one more day a week, cut hours on other days and layoff staff.
The Gilroy Library attracts about 1,000 visitors a day. Before the recent cutback, it was open 54 hours a week. If the ballot measure fails, the library may only be open 34 hours a week.
Gilroy resident Kathleen Clarke, who was in the library Thursday with her 3- and 1-year-old daughters, said they visit the library a few times a month, occasionally for story time, and for the “entertainment value.” She said it would be a bother if the library was to cut its hours.
“It was her idea to come today,” Clarke said of her older daughter. “I can’t think of any reason to vote against the tax. It’s good for kids to know about the library, and it’s free books for God sakes.”
To avoid a repeat of last year, when the proposal fell six percentage points short of the necessary two-thirds majority, supporters are forming campaign committees to get out the vote.
Former Gilroy City Councilwoman Connie Rogers said Thursday that the local boosters are hoping to raise $20,000 to print brochures and fact sheets and are seeking office space for a phone campaign.
Supporters hope the mail-in election will play in their favor by increasing voter turnout and allowing them to track the voting. Rogers said canvassers will spend the month of March calling voters. Those who promise to vote yes but haven’t mailed in their ballots by late April will get a second phone call reminding them to vote.
“Perhaps we take it for granted, but I really think the library is the heart of the community,” Rogers said. “If you talk to people, they all love the library, but that hasn’t translated into monetary support.”
County Librarian Melinda Cervantes said that she’s never confident about a two-thirds vote.
“It’s very difficult to achieve,” she said. “I think there’s significant support for renewing at the same rate, but this is all highly dependent on people understanding the mail-in ballot and deciding whether or not the library is valuable to them and their lives.”
The measures have already won the support of County Supervisor Don Gage, who said Thursday that libraries have a positive impact on communities and provide invaluable resources for children.
“It’s an excellent tool that’s used mostly by school-aged kids, and those who can’t afford computers or to buy books,” Gage said.
As it was last year, the local campaign against the ballot measures will be led by Gilroy resident Mark Zappa, a member of the Santa Clara Valley Taxpayers Association.
Zappa said the ballot process is inherently unfair because all residents can approve a tax that only affects property owners.
“They need to figure out a way to fairly tax all residents, not just dip into the pockets of the so-called rich,” He said. “Many people will vote for it because they think they will not be taxed. In the long run they’ll pay for it because rent will go up.”
As a rule, association members are against all parcel tax measures. They say those measures are end runs around Proposition 13, which imposed limits on property taxes. Zappa said he would be willing to reconsider that stance in this case if the library would change its policies governing Internet use. According to Zappa, the library’s failure to prevent patrons from viewing Internet pornography harms children.
“From a tax point of view, I oppose any bond tax which penalizes only property owners,” Zappa said. “If the library was providing appropriate material to minors, I would support the library.”
As part of its fund raising efforts, the pro-ballot faction will hold a book fair at Barnes & Noble at Gilroy Crossing on April 8. The event will feature Claudia Salewske, local author of “Gilroy.” Mary Ellison, the store’s community relations manager, said she is supporting the initiative because her job is to support literacy in the community. She doesn’t think support for a library should be equated to support for pornography.
“When you confuse the library with an issue like that, children lose out,” Ellison said. “It’s unfortunate that the kids have to pay the price.”
Ballots will be mailed to voters on April 4 and must be returned by May 3. The last day to register for the election is April 18. The nine libraries are located in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, Milpitas, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino, Monte Sereno, Campbell and Alum Rock.
