We are posting two Explorer letters from OV citizens responding to a recent letter from John Musolf.
Here's the link to our posting of John's letter.
John Musolf Says "Turn Over Library to Pima County"
By the way, Ms. Kuhel need not note John's whereabouts. Mr. Musolf is a CITIZEN OF ORO VALLEY!
The main difference between John's letter and these two is John states facts. These two ladies misrepresent the facts
Their opinions are worthy of hearing. Opinions are one thing. Misrepresenting facts is totally different.
Here are the two letters. You judge for yourself.
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OV must keep control of its public library
In response to Mr. John Musolf's June 3 "You Say" column (OV Should Give Library to Pima County's District, pg 16).
Mr. Musolf wants our town to give away a $7 million asset, which includes our meeting rooms and many of our programs and activities.
He fails to mention that would include as many as 30 percent of the books we asked for and paid for. As just another branch, our books, checked out through other libraries, would stay with them. The current collection policy requires our books be returned to us. Books and furniture of our library are valued at close to $2 million.
Then, there's the building. We would still be responsible for paying the $184,000 per year mortgage – on a building we would no longer control. We would also lose the income from the semi-annual book sales (approx. $20,000 per year) and resident gifting which seems to increase each year.
Furthermore, Mr. Musolf doesn't seem to realize that the county board lowered our secondary tax from $2.35 million to $1.8 million for 2009 – 2010. Of course, that would most likely be raised if they added the costs of our library to their responsibilities.
And what do you suppose would happen to our ratings? The Hennen American Public Library Evaluation rates our OV Library at 93 percent. The Pima County Library system is rated at 49 percent.
Also, according to a January town survey, our library is the #1 service provided by Oro Valley. No surprise, since we're told that we're a more educated, higher income area, with higher home valuations than much of the county.
As it is, we've expected more from our library and we've been gratefully receiving it. We aspire to the best and I believe our children deserve it.
Really, do we really want Pima County to hire our employees, select our books and not be answerable to our council? Sacrificing our long-term investments for a short-term fix is not good economic policy.
A permanent, 18-year resident and avid library user,
Arlene Lehto, Oro Valley
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OV library is of real value to community
Does John Musolf, who recently returned for the summer to his home in Wisconsin, realize the value of its local library?
Currently, according to a town survey, the Oro Valley library is one of the highest rated services provided by the town.
Oro Valley citizens value their lifestyle, living conditions and their good fortune to live here. We expect quality, which is what our library gives us.
Mr. Musolf appears to want us to give away a $7 million asset. If we allow the county to take over the facility we will still be paying our library tax, plus a yearly charge, for a minimum of three years, to the county. This amount could equal $1.5 million over that same three-year period. The current library district tax for 2009-2010 is projected to be $1.8 million (not $2.35 million), of which approximately one-third is returned to the town to help run the library.
Currently our Oro Valley librarians purchase the books we want or need. If we become a branch of the Pima County system, the county would select and purchase materials. If we become a branch of said system, could our locally purchased books be fed into the county and permanently lost to our local facility? Can we stand to lose as much as 30 percent of our locally purchased books, many of which are bought by our Friends of the Library and not from town funds? Would our Friends of the Library want to continue to purchase books that could disappear into a county system?
Pima County officials would be setting policy for our local library, and the employees would not be answerable to the OV Town Council, even though they are employed in our OV facility. Would we lose access to our community center for other than county-sanctioned events?
The financial value of the library, and the cost of maintenance, are great, but the value to the community is greater. Are we being shortsighted in accepting a long-term solution to a short-term problem? Turning over the library to an out-or-town entity is a permanent, irreversible solution to a temporary problem.
Judith Kuhel, Oro Valley
This letter was shortened – Ed. (Explorer)
7 comments:
So, no matter what, it's okay for Oro Valley to have to fund a losing proposition. One can throw all kinds of statistics about ratings, types of books, control, etc., but the big question remains - DOES THE LOSS OF FUNDS INCURRED BY ORO VALLEY EXCEED THE BENEFITS OF A FEW EXTRAS THAT A LOCAL ADMINISTRATION MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, SOME OF WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT ADD TO THE QUALITY OF A LIBRARY AND/OR THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT IS INTENDED?
I, too, find it rather dubious that Ms. Kuhel, in her 'letter' felt she had to attempt to try to undermine the findings of John Musolf by the idiocy of bringing into her 'message' that Mr. Musolf has another home elsewhere in addition to living in Oro Valley. Is this how a 'superior' library teaches you to think, Ms. Kuhel?
I agree (as earlier posted) that this issue should be brought to a vote in one of the next general elections. Do we want more deficit spending at the expense of special interest meanderings. We voted 'no' on an over the top, money eating 'park'; is this issue much different?
I believe that Zev makes a good point. This matter should be decided by Oro Valley voters. I can understand the feelings that some have about keeping the library under local control. However, the costs associated with continued local control do not make sense.
I say turn control of the library over to Pima County and use that saved money to reduce the upcoming budget shortfall. Or will this council give the money saved from the library away to some private organization in keeping with their traditions therefore not helping the town at all?
Now, now Ezek--- Who would do a thing like that? Oh yeah. I almost forgot. The same four that voted to give $25K to C-Path and another $16K, or a total of $40K to TREO!!
In case anyone forgot the four. They're the same ones that voted to raid the contingency fund.
Names? You don't need names. You only need to know whose terms expire next year!
So is Ms. Kuhel implying that because Mr. Musolf lives part of the year in Oro Valley and part of the year in Wisconsin that he has no right to speak on issues that involve either location?
Ms. Lehto seems to be implying the same thing with her closing statement that she is an 18 year permanent resident.
As long as he (or anyone) owns a home in Oro Valley and pays taxes to Oro Valley and Pima County, then that person has just as much of a right as these two women to have a voice in what happens in this town or in this county.
He may not live here for 12 months of the year, but his house is here for 12 months of the year and he pays taxes on it for the entire 12 months of the year, not just the months that he lives in it.
I also think it was rude of Ms. Kuhel to announce to the entire town that Mr. Musolf is away and it was irresponsible of the Explorer to print that portion of her letter. They should have edited that part out of it for security reasons.
Excellent post, VC, I wonder who dictated their 'talking points'.
Some would have said that a mega theme park would have been an asset. Some assets we just can't afford as they are just too costly.(my opinion) If I won a McMansion in Stone Canyon that would be an asset that I could not afford the upkeep on.
Ok, So the library is a wonderful thing to have in our town but just because we don't have 100% control over it does not mean it won't still be an asset nor will the library vanish.
I would guess that a lot of people would love to have OV have their own schools/district. hmm, and I can tell you that would be te end of reasonable taxes in OV. Well we belong to a large school district that does not just include OV and from what I am told it is a decent school district. And OV students go there without it being under OV control and the are being educated with others not just OV kids. So I think we can have a library here that works just fine without it being run by OV
I think that if OV is to keep control of the library then OV better come up with some way to raise money to run it.
Another idea is to negotiate with the county, times are tough and it does not hurt to ask .
And by the way just because a person only lives here part of the year does not necessarily mean they don't have Arizona as a primary residency which means they can vote here.
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