HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution-1993-1355
RESOLUTION NO. 1355
SERIES OF 1993
TITLE:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE REGARDING
LIBRARY SERVICES
WHEREAS, the Wheat Ridge Library was organized on
May 10, 1944, and was eventually incorporated into the Jefferson
County Library system in 1952; and
WHEREAS, the Wheat Ridge area of Jefferson County and
from 1969, the present City of Wheat Ridge, have enjoyed library
services within the community from May 10, 1944; and
WHEREAS, residents in the City of Wheat Ridge have
supported and utilized Jefferson County Library services; and
WHEREAS, the Wheat Ridge community currently
contributes in excess of $600,000 in property taxes per year for
support of the Jefferson County Library system; and
WHEREAS, in order to reduce operating expenses, a
proposal is being considered by the Jefferson County Library
trustees to reduce the operating hours of the Wheat Ridge branch
library from 43 hours per week to 20 hours per week; and
WHEREAS, the proposed budget cutting service reductions
are not intended to affect all of the branches of the Jefferson
County Library system;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Wheat Ridge
City Council hereby expresses its opposition to the proposed
budget cutting plan{ under consideration by the Library Board of
Trustees and the County Commissioners, that would reduce the
Wheat Ridge Branch Library hours to 20 hours per week for the
following reasons:
I. If budget adjustments need to be made, the
adjustments need to be made equitably, and the current plan
concentrates the impact of service reductions on only selected
branches of the Library, and particularly on the only branch of
the Library in the City of Wheat Ridge.
2. The $600,000 in property taxes paid by the Wheat
Ridge Community for Library Services is far in excess of the
estimated annual operating costs of the Wheat Ridge Library
Branch of approximately $185,000.
3. The City of Wheat Ridge and other municipalities in
Jefferson County are not able to enjoy the full measure of
benefit for certain major County services funded by Wheat Ridge
property taxes, such as road and bridge maintenance, and County
Sheriff services, which will be further compounded if the Library
services are reduced.
AND, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Wheat Ridge City
Council respectfully requests that the Library Trustees and the
County Commissioners develop and consider an alternate plan of
budget adjustments which more equitably distributE,s any budget
adjustments and which also takes a long range view of the
provision of library services and incorporates the input of
municipalities into said plan.
DONE AND RESOLVED on this 12th
day of July, 1993.
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RAY J. W~' R, JR., M~OR
ATTEST:,
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WANDA SANG, CITY~ERK