O.C. Vote on Library Dismays City Officials

City officials are dismayed that the Board of Supervisors will vote today on a new county library funding plan they have not been allowed to review.

“They’re putting the cart before the horse,” Councilman Greg Smith said. “They’re going to vote on severely limiting our options without giving us any details of how this new plan would affect Irvine.”

County Librarian John M. Adams asked Irvine council members last month to postpone a vote on withdrawal from the county library system until the funding plan was complete. Council members agreed to delay their vote until Aug. 20.

“The only thing we have received is a copy of John Adams’ report to the Board of Supervisors,” City Manager Paul Brady said. “It came with no backup material and no numbers.”

Adams told council members last month the new plan would increase funding for “donor” cities such as Irvine that contribute more in property taxes than they receive in library funding. Adams could not be reached for comment Monday.

“The county owes us the same courtesy that we extended to them,” Smith said.

Smith is urging supervisors to delay their vote until the plan is shared with all 21 cities in the county library system.

Councilwoman Paula Werner said she too was surprised that a vote would be scheduled before the city reviewed the plan.

“John Adams is an employee of the county, so I guess he has to report back to his bosses,” Werner said. “I thought they would let us in on it a little bit more.”

Smaller cities fear the new plan will cut their funding to make up for increased allocations to donor cities such as Irvine and Costa Mesa. Irvine contributes $2.8 million in property taxes to the county library system and receives $2.3 million in return for its two libraries.