The city of Calabasas, California, has announced that it will withdraw from the County of Los Angeles Public Library system by July 1 because it does not receive its money's worth in county services. Calabasas is the first community to withdraw from the 85-library system under a new state law that took effect last July, permitting cities to form their own library systems with tax dollars relinquished by the county library (see American Libraries, Nov. 1996, p. 17).
Officials based the decision on the findings of a consultant's report that revealed the city contributes $26.43 per resident annually to the system but receives only $12.72 in service, figures the library has disputed.
Calabasas Mayor Leslie Devine said in the December 4 Los Angeles Times, "For the money our citizens are spending, they deserve more than they are getting."
Posted December 22, 1997.