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Mesa Residents Rally for the LibrarySome 200 library supporters in Mesa, Arizona, held a candlelight vigil December 6 to demonstrate in favor of an increased property tax for the Mesa Public Library. The city council backed away in November from requesting a tax ballot after a chamber of commerce survey indicated 60% of voters would oppose it, the Phoenix Arizona Republic reported December 8.The library budget was cut by $100,000 last fiscal year, causing the loss of 14 FTE positions. Earlier this year, the city proposed closing the Red Mountain and Dobson branches, but officials say that drastic measure is now unlikely. MPL Director Trisha Sorenson said the rally was a morale boost for the staff. “We’re almost to the point that I need to go back to the council and say we need to cut hours again” because of lost positions. “We are so shrinking down to core services and nothing else,” she told the Republic. The rally was sponsored by the library Friends group and the Mesa chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, a national advocacy group. Mesa ACORN Chair Mitzi Pearce said the library needs a “stable funding source” such as a property tax, not a sales tax most recently proposed by Mesa City manager Mike Hutchinson. Posted December 9, 2005. |
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