Measure A ballots mailed out

The Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters has mailed out Measure A ballots to more than 204,000 voters for the Aug. 27 special mail ballot election to continue a tax that’s been used to purchase library hours and materials for 20 years. 
The library tax is expiring in 2015, and the county’s Joint Powers Authority is hoping residents will vote to continue to maintain library hours and book purchases. If the measure were to not pass, each library branch in the district would have to cut their weekly hours by a day-and-a-half, according to County Librarian Nancy Howe. 
Between now and Aug. 27, ballots can be dropped off at the Gilroy City Hall at 7351 Rosanna St. and the Morgan Hill City Hall at 17575 Peak Ave. On Aug. 27, Gilroy City Hall will offer extended drive-thru ballot drop off hours from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The district encompasses all of the unincorporated area within the county as well as the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill and Saratoga. Voters in the district will be deciding on Measure A, a parcel tax. Measure A requires a two-thirds vote to pass.  
The $33 annual parcel tax brings in $5.6 million annually for county libraries. That’s about 18 percent of the library system’s total budget. The money collected goes back to the local library where the tax originated, and can only be used to buy new materials and to fund staffing for more open hours.
The special tax needs a two-thirds vote to pass. If it passes, the rate will remain at $33 per household.