Measure L: Money for Los Angeles Libraries

Measure L would amend the city charter to dedicate more General Fund money to the library system.

OFFICIAL BALLOT LANGUAGE: Shall the Charter be amended to incrementally increase the amount the City is required to dedicate annually from its General Fund to the Library Department to an amount equal to .0300% of the assessed value of all property in the City, and incrementally increase the Library Department’s responsibility for its direct and indirect costs until it pays for all of its direct and indirect costs, in order to provide Los Angeles neighborhood public libraries with additional funding to help restore library service hours, purchase books and support library programs, subject to audits, using existing funds with no new taxes?

BACKGROUND: The city’s library system has 72 branches, plus the Los Angeles Central Library in downtown. In 1925, when there were 30 libraries in Los Angeles, the city charter was written to appropriate .0175 percent of assessed value of property in the city to the department. Measure L would increase that amount to .03 percent over a four-year period.

“It’s just a tragic situation for the service that is so vital to our city, to our country,” said Roy Stone, president of the Librarians’ Guild. “People will do everything they can to be sure they can keep the library open and functioning, and then we have a budget that says no.”

Measure L is opposed by the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which calls it “budgeting by ballot box.”

“Since it appears that this measure will pass, the League has simply gone on record to warn residents that they should expect to see further reductions in other areas of priority such as police and fire services, parks and recreation, and street services,” the union’s Board of Directors writes in a post on its website.

ENDORSEMENTS

FOR:

• Los Angeles City Councilmen Tom LaBonge, Eric Garcetti and Bernard Parks
• LAPD Chief Charlie Beck
• L.A. City Librarian Martin Gomez
• Library Foundation of Los Angeles
• Valley Industry and Commerce Association

AGAINST:

• Los Angeles Police Protective League
• Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Argument in Favor LIst of Signers L

Argument Against LIst of Signers

Rebuttal to Arg Against L

Rebuttal to Arg in Favor L