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• • • TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS Resolution 2-04 In Support Of Measure B A Ballot Measure to Continue Support For Santa Clara County Libraries WHEREAS, lifelong learning and literacy are an important component of a healthy community, and libraries play an important role in their delivery; and WHEREAS, voters overwhelmingly approved the 1994 ballot measure to restore hours, books and services at local libraries; and WHEREAS, this measure put in place a 10-year funding mechanism that has provided approximately 21% of the overall library budget, or $5.3 million annually, to libraries in Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County, and WHEREAS, Santa Clara County libraries face an uncertain future, with demand for service increasing, at a time when cities and counties are facing past and future budget cuts, and the funding provided for libraries by Measure B expires in June, 2005; and WHEREAS, the expiration of funding through Measure B will mean a loss of $5.3 million annually to local libraries, necessitating cuts to library services of 21%; and WHEREAS, reducing library funding by 21% will mean closing libraries an additional 1 or 2 days a week, including Sundays; reducing books and materials budgets by nearly $7000,000; and reducing or eliminating story hours for children, research services for students and businesses, and adult literacy efforts; and WHEREAS, Measure B will appear on the March 2, 2004 ballot in Santa Clara County that will ask voters to continue funding our community library system by continuing the current assessment benefiting libraries with a slight increase; and WHEREAS, these funds can only be used for library services, all money raised within a city will be returned to that city to fund its community library, and the funding automatically expires after 7 years; and WHEREAS, this measure will appear on the March 2, 2004 ballot as Measure B, and, if approved by Santa Clara Voters, will provide funding to prevent serious reductions in hours, books and services at our local libraries.