A smooth transition
Ownership details still to be worked out in library district

By LARRY M EYER
ARGUS OBSERVER
Monday, December 29, 2008 10:51 AM PST

Francisco Guerrero spends part of his Christmas vacation in the Ontario library, which is in the midst of a change in ownership.

ONTARIO — Much like what the outgoing and incoming presidential administrations are working toward, local officials are also trying to pave the way for a smooth transition from a city/county library to a library district after voters approved the measure in November’s general election.

The process, however, is not as easy as it may seem.

To the present, the library has been a joint venture of the City of Ontario and Malheur County Court, with funding support from both.

In the latter years, both entities struggled to continue funding the library, and the library staff has struggled to provide library services with dwindling services. 

Attempts to establish a county-wide library district that would have supported all public libraries financially failed.

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The proposal actually received the majority of votes cast in an primary election, but it did not receive the required super majority, approval of a majority of registered voters.

Library supporters, unwilling to give up, went back to the voters with a smaller proposal to create a district with the same boundaries as the Ontario Schoolaa District, which was approved by the voters.

“The library board (the old) and the board of directors (the new) are in a transition,” head librarian Darlyne Johnson said.

Actually, the librarians have had to work with the city as well as the advisory board and now will be under the board of directors, said Johnson, who will be secretary to the five-member board.

“The two are working together,” she said of the old and new boards. “Both are willing to work and get this transition over.

“In the county’s eyes we’re a district,” Johnson said, adding officials issued a final order after the election establishing the new district. “The state says they (the district board members) will not be in control until July 1.”

In the mean time, the various parties will work out ownership of the building, equipment, books and other materials.

That discussion will take place Jan. 7 at a meeting with the Ontario City Council, Johnson said. 

Current funding from the city and the county will continue until June 30, she said.

“We don’t get any taxes until November 2009,” she said.

To jump-start funding, one option will be to borrow against the taxes until they start coming in. That will be a decision made by the board, Johnson said.