NEWS. BACK HERE IN OUR AREA. MEASURE E WILL BE VOTED ON THIS ELECTION DAY BY SACRAMENTO CITY VOTERS. IT ASKS THEM WHETHER THE SACRAMENTO LIBRARY PARCEL TAX SHOULD BE EXTENDED. THE EXISTING TAXES GENERATE SOME. $9.6 MILLION A YEAR FOR SERVICES. THAT’S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF WHAT THE CITY CONTRIBUTES TO KEEP THE LIBRARY RUNNING. KCRA 3’S LEE ANNE DENYER SPOKE WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ABOUT HOW THE FUNDS ARE USED AND WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF THE MEASURE DOESN’T PASS. IT WILL BE SACRAMENTO CITY VOTERS WHO WILL DECIDE ON MEASURE E. IT WOULD REQUIRE A TWO THIRDS VOTE IF IT WAS TO PASS. IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS OPEN. I BELIEVE THE LIBRARY IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER. ANYONE CAN COME INTO THE LIBRARY AND FIND WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR. PETER COYLE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY AND FUNDING FOR THE LIBRARY IS ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER. IF MEASURE E DOESN’T PASS, IT WILL POSSIBLY MEAN A REDUCTION IN FUNDING FROM THE CITY, WHICH WOULD MEAN A REDUCTION IN HOURS AND SERVICES, NOT JUST IN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO, BUT IT WILL HAVE A RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LIBRARY SYSTEM. MEASURE E ASKS SACRAMENTO CITY VOTERS TO COMBINE TWO EXISTING PARCEL TAXES INTO ONE TAX FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSEHOLDS. IT’S A COST OF $54.50 ANNUALLY. THOSE TAXES GENERATE $9.6 MILLION FOR THE LIBRARY. ABOUT 15% OF ITS FUNDING. FUNDING USED FOR BOOKS, STAFFING, PROGRAMING AND DIGITAL RESOURCES. THIS PARCEL TAX RENEWAL IT IS NOT AN INCREASE TO KEEP OUR LIBRARIES OPEN. FIVE DAYS A WEEK. SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER KARINA TELEMONTES SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THE SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY AUTHORITY. SHE SAYS POLLING SHOWS STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE LIBRARY. I THINK IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT OUR SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARIES THAT THEY’RE LOVED, THAT THERE’S TRANSPARENCY, THERE’S ACCOUNTABILITY, THERE’S MEASURES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE OF SACRAMENTO KNOW THAT THE PARCEL TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THIS ARE SPENT ONLY ON OUR LIBRARIES. FUNDING FOR THE LIBRARY CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO FOUR PARTS COUNTY PROPERTY TAXES. THE CITY’S GENERAL FUND, CITY PARCEL TAXES, AND A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS. COYLE SAYS LOSING THE PARCEL TAX COMPONENT WOULD STRAIN THEIR RESOURCES. I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE VOTERS WILL MAKE THEIR VOICES KNOWN DURING THE ELECTION, AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT IT PASSES IN SACRAMENTO. WE LOVE THE LIBRARY. LET’S KEEP THEM OPEN. LEE ANNE DENYER KCRA THREE NEWS. SO IF PASSED, MEASURE E WOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF THE PARCEL TAX FUNDS FO
Sacramento voters to decide on future of public library funding with Measure E
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Updated: 9:13 PM PDT Oct 24, 2024
Sacramento city voters will decide on Measure E this Election Day. Existing parcel taxes, from Measure X and Measure B, generate $9.6 million a year for library services. The taxes account for roughly 15% of the city’s contribution to the Sacramento Public Library’s funds.“I believe the library is the great equalizer,” said Peter Coyl, director of the library. “Anyone can come into the library and find what they're looking for.”Coyl said if Measure E does not pass in November, the reduced funding from the city would likely impact hours and services throughout the library system. “Not just in the city of Sacramento, but it will have a ripple effect throughout the entire library system,” he said.Measure E asks voters to combine two existing parcel taxes into one tax, costing single-family households $54.50 annually. Measure E would not raise the annual cost to families.“It is a parcel tax renewal—it is not an increase—to keep our libraries open five days a week,” said Karina Talamantes, Sacramento city council member and chair of the Sacramento Public Library Authority. “We are at risk of them only being open three days a week if it does not pass.” Talamantes said polling shows strong support for the library, and that there is no formal opposition to the measure, which has garnered Democratic and Republican support.“I think it says something about our Sacramento public libraries that they're loved, that there's transparency, there's accountability, there's measures in place to make sure that people of Sacramento know that the parcel tax dollars that are allocated towards this are spent only on our libraries, on our books, on our staffing, on our early learning programs, on our senior programs,” Talamantes said.Funding for the library can be broken down into four parts: county property taxes, the city's general fund, city parcel taxes and a small percentage of other contributions. Coyl said losing the parcel tax component would strain resources. “I have a lot of confidence that the voters will make their voices known during the election,” he said. “I am hopeful that it passes.”The measure requires a two-thirds vote to pass. For more information about the November election, including key issues and other races on the ballot, check out the KCRA 3 Voter Guide.Find more political news from our national team here.
Sacramento city voters will decide on Measure E this Election Day.
Existing parcel taxes, from Measure X and Measure B, generate $9.6 million a year for library services. The taxes account for roughly 15% of the city’s contribution to the Sacramento Public Library’s funds.
“I believe the library is the great equalizer,” said Peter Coyl, director of the library. “Anyone can come into the library and find what they're looking for.”
Coyl said if Measure E does not pass in November, the reduced funding from the city would likely impact hours and services throughout the library system.
“Not just in the city of Sacramento, but it will have a ripple effect throughout the entire library system,” he said.
Measure E asks voters to combine two existing parcel taxes into one tax, costing single-family households $54.50 annually. Measure E would not raise the annual cost to families.
“It is a parcel tax renewal—it is not an increase—to keep our libraries open five days a week,” said Karina Talamantes, Sacramento city council member and chair of the Sacramento Public Library Authority. “We are at risk of them only being open three days a week if it does not pass.”
Talamantes said polling shows strong support for the library, and that there is no formal opposition to the measure, which has garnered Democratic and Republican support.
“I think it says something about our Sacramento public libraries that they're loved, that there's transparency, there's accountability, there's measures in place to make sure that people of Sacramento know that the parcel tax dollars that are allocated towards this are spent only on our libraries, on our books, on our staffing, on our early learning programs, on our senior programs,” Talamantes said.
Funding for the library can be broken down into four parts: county property taxes, the city's general fund, city parcel taxes and a small percentage of other contributions. Coyl said losing the parcel tax component would strain resources.
“I have a lot of confidence that the voters will make their voices known during the election,” he said. “I am hopeful that it passes.”
The measure requires a two-thirds vote to pass.
For more information about the November election, including key issues and other races on the ballot, check out the KCRA 3 Voter Guide.
Find more political news from our national team here.
