Library District woes
By Joe Dominick
Thursday, February 26, 2009 10:43 AM PST
Give it away free, or rent your public property, that is the question.
You have all read now, with limited information, both sides of the library discussion. It truly comes down to one simple question: Do we give away, free, your publically-owned property that you have paid into for more than 40 years, or rent your publically-owned property that you have paid into for more than 40 years?
Approximately 4,000 Ontario city residents originally paid for the building, along with a grant, back in the 1960s. For the last three years, 4,000 Ontario city residents have continued to pay for the operation of the library, while many others have used it for little or no cost.
With the passage of the Library District, along with 4,000 city residents, people living in the 8C School District boundaries are funding the new Library District, which will now oversee the operations of the library. This is great, because now the library will have stable funding and will possibly increase hours of service.
Yes, it does remove the library from being funding through the city general fund. However, the citizens of Ontario still own, and have paid for, the building. Many of you have told City Councilors, we should not give away our paid for building. Others have told Councilors, “Give it to the district. We have already paid for it.”
As elected officials, we must always use taxpayers’ dollars as wisely as possible. This includes items purchased with those dollars, such as City Hall, fire trucks, police cars, pubic works vehicles, city-owned property and buildings. When an item purchased with your dollars is no longer needed, it is put on the surplus list and offered for sale. Examples include, used police cars, used equipment from public works and even land. These items are given a realistic value and are sold to the pubic or other government agencies.
Some members of the Council believe the library building should be treated the same way. The building is 22,600 square feet, including the basement. As the council discussed being responsible with taxpayer property, many ideas were brought up. Some Councilors would like to give your building away. The council ultimately decided to create a lease for the building because it is a city taxpayer asset.
Contrary to items written, or being said, this lease is not “set in stone.” Since you, the taxpayer, own the building, we started the process with an “offer.” The City is “offering” to lease the building to the Library District. With respect to the taxpayer, the council added a dollar amount, at about half of the current square-foot rate of commercial buildings. Remember, this is a council “first offer.”
The Council received the first official reply from the Library District Board on Monday. In part, it reads: “request the Ontario City Council ... to gift the present library building to the people of the Ontario Library District.”
As mayor, along with your Councilors, we believe this is an important issue for you, the taxpayer. We have set up a community meeting to hear from you at 6 p.m. March 5 at Four Rivers Cultural Center. We want to hear your thoughts and ideas, so we know the direction Ontario taxpayers want us to take.
Please join us at the meeting. Even if all you say is a few words, such as “rent it” or “gift it,” it will tell your elected officials your thoughts and make the democratic process work the way it is intended.
Remember, your hard-earned dollars paid for the building. Do we give your building away, or do we rent it?
Thank you for your attendance, Mayor Joe.
Joe Dominick is the Ontario City Mayor.
Fred wrote on Mar 1, 2009 9:38 PM: