FULL TEXT OF BALLOT MEASURE R

ORDINANCE NO. 4915 ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 1 OF THE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY AUTHORITY BY ELIMINATING THE TERMINATION DATE OF AN EXISTING TRANSACTION AND USE TAX SUPPORTING LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARIES

The Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz ordains as follows:

SECTION I

WHEREAS, in 1996, Section 7285.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code authorized the establishment of a county-wide Public Library Authority empowered to seek voter approval of a transaction and use (sales) tax for public library funding purposes; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 7285.5, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors lawfully established a county wide Public Library Authority to seek voter approval of a one-quarter of one percent sales tax for library purposes; and

WHEREAS, on November 5, 1996, the voters of the County of Santa Cruz approved by a two-thirds vote, a ballot measure imposing a one-quarter of one percent sales tax for public library purposes; and

WHEREAS, the ballot measure enacted an ordinance of the Santa Cruz County Public Library Authority that imposed the sales tax and authorized an Expenditure Plan for the use of the revenues generated; and

WHEREAS, the support of existing local public libraries including their expanded and extended library services for children, young adults and seniors; their computer and technology equipment and library materials; their educational and adult literacy programs; appropriate hours of operation; and necessary maintenance, repair, upgrade or expansion of facilities remains an important public priority; and

WHEREAS, the ordinance establishing the sales tax funding the Public Library Authority expires on April 1,2013; and

WHEREAS, Revenue and Taxation Section 7285.5 was amended by the Legislature in 2001 and now authorizes the County Board of Supervisors to seek extension of a sales tax previously enacted by a county wide public authority if approved by two-thirds vote of the Board of Supervisors and subsequently approved by two-thirds of the voters.

NOW THEREFORE, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz finds that there is a need to permanently extend the sales tax for public library purposes first enacted in 1996.

SECTION II

Ordinance No. 1 of the Santa Cruz County Public Library Authority approved by the voters of Santa Cruz County on November 5, 1996, is hereby amended by deleting Section 17 entitled "Termination Date" in its entirety.

SECTION III

If any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

SECTION IV

This ordinance shall take effect as provided by law. This ordinance shall become effective according to law only if at least two-thirds of the electors voting on the measure at the election on June 3, 2008 vote to approve enactment of the ordinance.

PASSED AND ADOPTED this 26th day of February, 2008 by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Santa Cruz by the following vote:

Ayes: Supervisors Stone, Coonerty, Beautz, Campos, Pirie

Noes: Supervisors None

Absent: Supervisors None

Abstain: Supervisors None