The City of Oakland wants voters to approve a ballot measure to extend a parcel tax for 30 years as a way to help fund the public library system.
Measure C, if approved by voters in the June 7 primary election, would continue the annual tax while adding up to 5 percent a year to buy more books, run youth programs and upgrade technology, the San Jose Mercury News reported. The tax could raise $18 million in the first year.
If the tax measure fails to muster a required two-thirds vote, the library system will have to reduce about 40 percent of its spending, according to the city’s library director. That could result in cuts of library staff and operating hours.
The city’s library system includes a main library, 16 branches, the Oakland History Center, the Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland.
In 1994, Oakland voters approved the Library Services Retention and Enhancement Act, which imposed a parcel tax to raise revenue for library services. Voters extended the tax in 2004 to keep branches open, provide more programs, operate the African American museum and retain children’s librarians.
Owners of single-family parcels now pay $114.50 a year, while owners of multiple housing parcels pay $78.22 per unit and commercial property owners pay slightly less. If approved,
Measure C would retain those rates but allow the City Council to raise them up to 5 percent a year, depending on inflation. Low-income seniors won’t have to pay the tax, and churches, schools, hospitals and agricultural land owners can apply for exemptions.
A survey last fall by EMC Research indicated that voters were generally happy with the libraries and supported extending the parcel tax at the current rate.
Three quarters of the voters surveyed said they approved the performance of the library system, up from the 63 percent in 2017. But the survey also revealed that voters’ trust in the city to “properly manage tax dollars” dropped by several percentage points since then.
[San Jose Mercury News] – Dana Bartholomew
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