Cogen Won't Push for Library District Next Year

Portland Mercury:

Though it may mean cutbacks for Multnomah County's highly decorated library system, County Chairman Jeff Cogen on Friday told library employees on Friday he won't push to create a tax-revenue-raising library district next year. Instead, blaming a dour mood among voters who might face a sizable tax hit, he'll wait two more years to push for a district and ask voters, for the next three years, to just renew the temporary tax levy they've already been paying. And that means cutbacks. The library system has already been drawing from the county's own dwindling reserves to make ends meet in recent years. "In a time of continuing deep job losses, stagnant wages and economic uncertainty, Multnomah County residents feel financially strapped," Cogen wrote to employees in an email that was later forwarded to the Mercury. "The willingness of most of our residents to pay any additional taxes, even for such a cherished and vital service, simply does not exist." Property taxes make up the bulk of the library's funding. Cogen says no branches will close but that some locations will have their hours reduced or see layoffs. That may wind up enraging union leaders, particularly in AFSCME, which represents a fair number of library workers. County commissioners are expected to vote on Cogen's recommendation January 5. The Oregonian, which wrote an editorial this weekend on the subject, kinda/sorta blesses the plan, but also says it's time for voters to pony up with permanent funding. Someone who might be happy about all this in spite of himself? Mayor Sam Adams. Because of Oregon's byzantine property tax laws, a library district—instead of just a library levy—would wind up costing Portland's general fund millions of dollars. Cogen's full letter is after the cut. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Read the full article here. Discuss below.