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Panel OKs library vote Photo by Steve Johnson Paul Meiran of Medford drops off books at the historic Medford Jackson County Library. This 1912 Carnegie building would revert to the city of Medford's ownership if voters approve a $39 million bond issue to build a new library headquarters building. If commission concurs, bond issue could be on May ballot By PETER WONG Jackson County voters are likely to consider a $39 million bond issue, the largest ever proposed by county government, to rebuild 15 libraries. The county Library Advisory Committee recommended unanimously Monday that county commissioners put the bond issue on the primary election ballot May 16. Unlike three previous bond issues that county voters rejected in 1977 and 1981, this proposal would pay for new or expanded branches in 14 other communities as well as a new headquarters in Medford. Despite the bond's price tag, its first-year cost to the owner of a home valued at $100,000 is estimated at $31.50, and costs are expected to drop over 20 years. Scott Rayburn of Medford, chairman of the advisory committee, said afterward that the recommendation resulted from years of study by the staff, outside consultants and library patrons. "The case we need to make to voters is not whether this is a big or small measure, but that it is necessary and is designed to deliver the most value for the dollar to benefit every resident," he said. A master plan for the 15 libraries was developed by two architectural firms, Fletcher, Farr Ayotte of Portland and Skelton, Straus and Seibert of Medford, and Professional Library Consultants. It would more than triple the 47,555 square feet available today. About half the $39 million would be for a new library headquarters, which would be more than five times the size of the current one housed in a 1912 Carnegie building on Main Street. That amount would be supplemented by $9 million from the Medford Urban Renewal Agency that will pay for parking, utility and other improvements, and $800,000 from the Jackson County Library Foundation that is earmarked in bequests for a headquarters site. Not yet settled is its proposed location. A site bounded by Eighth and Ninth streets, Central Avenue and Front Street was the preferred site. But because of opposition by merchants who fear a loss of parking, a panel of city, county and urban renewal officials is considering a site a block away on the east side of Central. "For purposes of talking with voters, we can be reasonably sure of where in Medford we will propose a site," Rayburn said. The county library system and Rogue Community College, which has its downtown Medford campus nearby, have discussed a joint-use library that would be the first in Oregon. Medford's Carnegie building would revert to the city if it is not used as a library. The Medford library became part of the county system in 1970. In addition to a new headquarters, the bond issue proposes seven new library branches and five expanded branches to be built in stages between 2000 and 2004. The Talent City Council has not determined which course it will take for its branch. A new White City branch will not be part of the bond issue. Its $1.4 million cost will be paid from urban renewal bonds. The countywide bond issue would incorporate most of $5.96 million that Ashland voters approved for remodeling and expansion of that city's branch library in a separate bond Nov. 2. Ashland taxpayers actually would pay less if the countywide bond passes; the estimated rate for the city bond is 46 cents per $1,000. The proposed library bond issue of $38,944,000, including $900,000 in bond sale costs, will go to commissioners at a public hearing scheduled Feb. 2. The bond would be the largest single issue referred to voters countywide. A pair of bond issues totaling $39.5 million, one for a new juvenile center and the other for an expanded jail, courtrooms and related offices, failed last year. Though three bond issues for a Medford headquarters have failed, voters have approved operating tax levies for the countywide system in 1984, 1988, 1991 and 1996. If the commissioners approve a referral, the bond issue will be subject to Oregon's double-majority requirement in the May 16 primary, meaning that a majority of registered voters must cast ballots for the measure to pass. Rayburn said supporters have a World Wide Web site at www.rebuildourlibraries.org "We recognize that a double-majority requirement makes this a riskier election that it used to be," he said. "But we believe the case for rebuilding our libraries is a strong one -- and that will be as big as getting people motivated to vote." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA