Existing Law
The City Charter creates a Library Preservation Fund, set to expire on June 30, 2023. The Library must use this Fund to provide library services and materials and operate library facilities at the Main Library and neighborhood branch libraries. The money for the Fund comes from a property tax set-aside of 2.5 cents per $100 each year.
Separate from the set-aside, the Charter requires the City to continue to fund Library services, materials, facilities, and equipment at a baseline level. And the Charter requires the City to adjust the amount of baseline funding every year based on increases or decreases in aggregate City's discretionary revenues.
The Charter also requires the Library to operate a set number of system-wide hours each week. Every five years, the Library must hold public hearings to reevaluate and possibly modify service hours.
Amendments to Current Law
The proposed Charter amendment would renew the Library Preservation Fund for 25 years, with monies for the Fund coming from the same annual property tax set-aside. Money from the Fund would continue to provide library services, acquire books and other materials and equipment, and construct, improve, rehabilitate, maintain, and operate library facilities.
The measure would allow the City to temporarily freeze increases to the baseline funding in years where the City's anticipates a budget deficit in the upcoming year over $300 million.
The measure would also require the Library to continue to provide at least 1,400 permanent system-wide service hours and existing permanent branch hours until 2028. After that, the Library Commission may modify these hours after holding public hearings.
Source: Legislative Digest of Proposition F
