Libraries Deserve Full Restitution Too

I wholeheartedly agree with The Times’ position that school districts deserve full restitution from the Orange County investment fund.

For the same reasons described in your editorial (“Put Education First in Funding Formula,” Jan. 29), two other agencies--the Buena Park Library District and Placentia Library District--must be given the same consideration.

Orange County’s two independent special district libraries are like the school districts, organized under the Education Code.

Like the school districts, we were required by that code to deposit all of our funds with the county.

These two libraries share with school districts the task of educating the children of our communities. For many children, their first exposure to books and learning comes through their library. However, unlike school districts, we have endured major reductions in our funding in recent years because of the governor’s shift of funding from special districts, cities and counties to the schools.

As a result, I believe that we are unique in having suffered the “double whammy” of taxes shifted away from us as well as the potential loss of funds which we were required to entrust to the county.

Our budgets are tiny in comparison with most of the agencies in the county. Because of this, we have very little flexibility to deal with shortfalls in funding. The earlier tax shifts caused us to cut away fat and well into bone.

Our children’s future depends upon schools, but also upon the libraries which begin and complete their education. Therefore, it is essential that our two library districts be made whole at the same time as the county’s schools.

BOB NICCUM

President, Board of Trustees

Buena Park Library District