Voters to Decide on Library Funding (POLL)

The future of funding for local libraries in Solano County, including the , will be in the hands on voters come June 5.

The initiative, Measure L, aims to fund libraries for the next 16 years by extending a one-eighth cent sales tax in Solano County. The initiative requires a majority two-thirds vote to pass.

Proponents of Measure L, including Yankees' Pitcher CC Sabathia, say that the extension of taxes is necessary if local libraries are to continue the same level of service that library patrons have grown accustomed to.

In Dixon Measure B, which is 0.125% increase in county-wide sales taxes approved in 1998, generates $500,000 in sales tax revenue for the Dixon Public Library. The money accounts for about 55 percent of the DPL's operating budget. Measure B expires in 2014 and Measure L is the successor initiative.

Proponents say that the takeaway of millions of dollars of funds generated from the taxes would be disastrous for libraries throughout the county and heavily impact service.

The Solano County Taxpayers Association has raised concerns about the wording of the initiative, specifically, that it calls for an oversight board to make sure that the funds generated from the sales taxes are used for only operating purposes and for purchasing library materials.

They say that oversight boards are meaningingless and that the wording of the measure should call for the oversight committee to be comprised of qualified accountants or business people. The taxpayers group would also like for the wording to specifically indicate that the funds cannot be used for anything other than operational costs and purchasing library materials.

They advocate for the measure to be held over until the November ballot. Now we place the question in front of the readers of Dixon Patch.

Will you be voting for Measure L as it is currently worded?

More reading on Measure L

• Measure L - FAQs

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