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The unanimous decision by the Roseburg City Council to allow its residents to vote on a proposed library service district is commendable.
It shows the councilors are respectful of the citizens they represent. They realize it's the individual taxpayers who will be responsible for funding the district so they should be able to vote on the district's formation.
Maybe the councilors also realized the heavy responsibility their decision carried. Members of the Library Futures Committee, the group of county residents seeking more stable funding for the library, made it known that without Roseburg's support, a ballot measure would be useless. Because Roseburg is the largest city in the county, its residents would provide about half of the funding for the district.
While the councilors recognized the importance of allowing Roseburg residents to vote and acknowledged that they're intelligent enough to make their own decisions, they're rightly disappointed that they don't have more answers.
City councilors hoped to learn from Douglas County commissioners whether the city will still be responsible for a $50,000 annual contribution to the headquarters library in Roseburg. Other cities, which also contribute to the upkeep of their branch libraries, wonder the same.
This is where the issue gets complicated. The Library Futures Committee is pushing for formation of a library district because its members want to see a stronger countywide library system — one that is open more hours, has full-time professional librarians, a larger materials budget, and a solid early childhood literacy and youth services program. Basically, they want to return the libraries to what they looked like in 2006, before they were cut by 65 percent because of dwindling county funding.
It's the Library Futures Committee that plans to ask county commissioners to put the library service district on the May 15 ballot, but its role ends there. The committee has no power to make other decisions about the library branches and the budget. That's up to the Douglas County commissioners, who would govern the district, if it's approved.
County commissioners haven't supported nor opposed the proposed district, though Commissioner Doug Robertson has indicated he'd prefer to have the library and other endangered county services funded through timber receipts from Oregon & California Railroad lands. That idea requires approval by Congress.
The library committee's proposal would fund libraries by collecting up to 50 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation from property owners. That would be about $75 annually for the owner of a $150,000 property.
In addition to Roseburg, the cities of Drain, Glendale, Oakland, Reedsport, Riddle and Yoncalla have already agreed to let their residents vote on the proposed district. We urge Canyonville, Winston, Sutherlin and Elkton to do the same, while Myrtle Creek should reconsider its denial.
This decision is too important to be left to a select few. Every registered voter deserves the opportunity to mark a ballot on how our libraries will be funded in the future.
It shows the councilors are respectful of the citizens they represent. They realize it's the individual taxpayers who will be responsible for funding the district so they should be able to vote on the district's formation.
Maybe the councilors also realized the heavy responsibility their decision carried. Members of the Library Futures Committee, the group of county residents seeking more stable funding for the library, made it known that without Roseburg's support, a ballot measure would be useless. Because Roseburg is the largest city in the county, its residents would provide about half of the funding for the district.
While the councilors recognized the importance of allowing Roseburg residents to vote and acknowledged that they're intelligent enough to make their own decisions, they're rightly disappointed that they don't have more answers.
City councilors hoped to learn from Douglas County commissioners whether the city will still be responsible for a $50,000 annual contribution to the headquarters library in Roseburg. Other cities, which also contribute to the upkeep of their branch libraries, wonder the same.
This is where the issue gets complicated. The Library Futures Committee is pushing for formation of a library district because its members want to see a stronger countywide library system — one that is open more hours, has full-time professional librarians, a larger materials budget, and a solid early childhood literacy and youth services program. Basically, they want to return the libraries to what they looked like in 2006, before they were cut by 65 percent because of dwindling county funding.
It's the Library Futures Committee that plans to ask county commissioners to put the library service district on the May 15 ballot, but its role ends there. The committee has no power to make other decisions about the library branches and the budget. That's up to the Douglas County commissioners, who would govern the district, if it's approved.
County commissioners haven't supported nor opposed the proposed district, though Commissioner Doug Robertson has indicated he'd prefer to have the library and other endangered county services funded through timber receipts from Oregon & California Railroad lands. That idea requires approval by Congress.
The library committee's proposal would fund libraries by collecting up to 50 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation from property owners. That would be about $75 annually for the owner of a $150,000 property.
In addition to Roseburg, the cities of Drain, Glendale, Oakland, Reedsport, Riddle and Yoncalla have already agreed to let their residents vote on the proposed district. We urge Canyonville, Winston, Sutherlin and Elkton to do the same, while Myrtle Creek should reconsider its denial.
This decision is too important to be left to a select few. Every registered voter deserves the opportunity to mark a ballot on how our libraries will be funded in the future.
