7928-04 Urge Gov to Return Funds to Library

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RESOLUTION NO. 7928-04 BY: CorrÜ"an~ Demro. Dever. Dunn, l?itzGerald, lliidÜran.. Seelie. A RESOLUTION of support for the Lakewood Public Library urging the candidates for and members of the Ohio General Assembly to fight to restore state local government funds severely damaged in the last two biennial budgets and joining the efforts of the Ohio Municipal League, the Ohio Library Council, the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association, and the Ohio Township Association to highlight the $340 million in iosses to these funds and demand that the General Assembly return to the statutory formula for the state local government funds. WHEREAS the Lakewood Public Library has been repeatedly honored by every national rating organization as one of the best public libraries in the United States, but the state financial support to the library's budget has been dramatically reduced during the last two sessions of the General Assembly; and WHEREAS the Ohio Municipal League, the Ohio Library Council, the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association, and the Ohio Township Association have joined efforts to highlight the impact that the cuts and freezes of the last four years have imposed on the three state local government funds (Local Government and Library Support Fund; Local Government Revenue Assistance Fund, and the Local Government Fund) and the resulting damage to many valuabie and essential services, estimated by those organizations to exceed $673 million, but admitted by the Ohio Department of Taxation to be at least $340 million; and WHEREAS these cuts and freezes represent a serious breach of the promises made by the Ohio General Assembly more than two decades ago in the restructuring of the state tax system; in that restructuring, the libraries and local governments agreed to the abolition of special taxes and funds (originally established to prevent libraries and local governments from the whim and bluster of biennial budget battles) in return for the General Assembly's commitment to specific Statutory formulas that would not damage libraries and local governments, but merely ensure that their funds fluctuated with state income tax collections; and WHEREAS the voters and citizens of the City of Lakewood have stepped up to carry the burden by passing both operating and capital levies to maintain the Lakewood Pubiic Library, but those voters and citizens are entitled to have the Ohio General Assembly honor its past commitments and return to the statutory formulas for providing library and local government support; and WHEREAS, this Council by a vote of at least five (5) members elected thereto determines that this resolution is an emergency measure, and that this resolution shall take effect at the earliest date possible as set forth in ARTICLE III, SEcrONS 10 and 13 of the SECOND AMENDED CHARTER OF THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, and that it is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public property, health and safety, and to provide for the usual daily operation of municipal departments in that the impact of the Ohio General Assembiy's cuts and freezes has damaged the capacity for the city and the library to serve the common good. Now Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, STATE OF OHIO: Section 1. A commendation to the Lakewood Public Library, its Director, Trustees, Staff and Supporters is hereby made for the continuing leadership shown, not only in the delivery of library services to the people of the City of Lakewood, but also in