Last modified: Sunday, June 4, 2006 2:57 AM PDT Committee votes to provide money for local library Larry Meyer Argus Observer ONTARIO The Ontario Budget Committee voted Wednesday to recommend the city provide one-half of the necessary funding to keep the Malheur County Library doors open through the end of December. Malheur County will provide a match to cover the total library costs through the end of the year. The recommendation by the committee, if sanctioned by the City Council, will essentially draw down the city's contingency fund to provide the money to cover one-half of the cost of the proposed budget through December. The infusion of funds from the city and the county will allow the library to stay open through the November General Election. That should give local elected and appointed leaders time to gauge the outcome of a proposed county-wide library district and tax base slated for the November election. Members of the committee campaigning for a library district already plan to submit the proposal to voters in November. The county-wide library district effort fizzled in the May primary. A majority of the people who cast ballots in the May primary approved the district and the tax base, but the number of individuals who actually voted did not reach the required 50 percent of registered voters. During the recent Malheur County budget committee deliberations, Darlyne Johnson, chief Malheur County Library librarian, submitted a budget proposal, which was more than $50,000 less than the current fiscal year budget. Because of the county's tight budget situation, the budget committee proposed a plan where the county would pay half of the library budget, if the city of Ontario - which had removed the library out of its general fund budget - would pay the other half. At the level of funding sought by the library staff, each entity would pay about $77,000. “The county will match the city,” Malheur County Judge Dan Joyce said, when contacted Friday. “I believe that is what the budget committee had in mind. It will help them move to the next process.” Joyce said the citizens' committee promoting the library district will attend Wednesday's meeting of the Malheur County Court for discussion about putting the issue on the November ballot. “It will take us to January,” Johnson said. “We're going to be cutting hours again.” Also, there will be some staff hour cuts, she said. City officials said they may review the issue again in January, depending on the outcome of election in November, Johnson said.