Editorial: Libraries need more support from public

Friday, Aug. 15, 2003 | 8:53 a.m.

At the June 3 elections voters in Las Vegas and unincorporated Clark County had the opportunity to approve a property tax increase to benefit libraries. A ballot question asked if they would approve an increase of about $9 a year for each $100,000 of assessed property value. The tax increase would have raised $50.6 million for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. The money would have been used to build four new libraries in growing areas and to improve existing libraries. Sixty-two percent of the voters who turned out voted against the increase.

It's unfortunate that voters turned down this chance to receive so much for so little. Public libraries are fundamental to the quality of life within communities. Over the past dozen years libraries within the district have seen visits rise from 500,000 a year to 5.3 million a year.

To partially compensate for its loss at the polls, the library district is planning to establish a private foundation and raise $30 million over the next 10 years. We support this plan with mixed emotions. Given the need, we want the foundation to succeed. But we realize that every dollar donated to it is a dollar that won't be donated toward other needed community services. In our view, the library district should be able to count on the general public, not foundation patrons, for its necessary support.