Placer County postpones vote on library closures in response to backlash

Placer County officials are postponing a planned April 7 vote on closing two libraries, after receiving an earful from community members.

County officials argued that shuttering the Loomis and Meadow Vista branches would help close a budget deficit of about $400,000 annually. The proposal drew strong condemnation from residents and local leaders.

Mary George, library services director for Placer County, said postponing the vote will give the community more time to evaluate options before the Board of Supervisors considers the issue.

“We heard loud and clear that they’d like us to look at alternatives to closure,” George said.

The library system is primarily funded from property taxes that have taken a hit since the Great Recession. George still believes closing the branches would benefit the system and free up money to expand hours at the flagship branches of Auburn and Rocklin, both of which are a short drive away from Meadow Vista and Loomis.

Loomis leaders and residents have raised the possibility of subsidizing the operations, if the county declines to keep the town’s location open.

The idea of the cities chipping in to help is nothing new. The city of Auburn pays $12,000 a year to the county for materials, while the city of Rocklin pays about $40,000 a year in landscape maintenance costs, according to George. In addition, the city of Rocklin owns the building, leasing it to the county for $1 annually.

This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 9:54 AM with the headline "Placer County postpones vote on library closures in response to backlash."