The Town Council has joined Friends of the Library in opposing a bill introduced into the Legislature that would cap special district tax levies.

The proposed bill would amend the current law for establishing library districts by imposing a cap on annual tax levy increases to an amount that would be equal to 2 percent in Maricopa County.

Cynthia Magazine, president of the Friends of the Library group, said enacting such a law would be “a disaster for our library.”

The Fountain Hills Branch Library is part of the Maricopa County Library system and not a municipal run entity. The town owns and maintains the facility, but the county district staffs and maintains materials and programs at the library.

Magazine said estimates indicate that if the bill passes, the Maricopa County Library District would be forced to eliminate 64 full-time jobs, all programs including story time, 200 hours of services per week, half of electronic resources and 33 percent of its materials budget.

“At a time when there are calls everywhere to improve education, wouldn’t it behoove us to ensure that our libraries, part of our educational system, are enhanced, not restricted?” Magazine said in an email to The Times.

“At a time when job loss is a huge issue, do we really want to throw more people out of work? Our MCLD has been judiciously managed as have other districts around the state. Is anyone calling for restrictions?”

Prior to the recession the Library District had managed to accumulate a fund balance it was able to use during the recession to maintain library services without an increase to the tax levy.

For the 2014 fiscal year the district has a total tax level approximately the same at it was in 2003, $14 million.

Between 2008 and 2013 the net assessed value on property in the district declined steadily.

In a document prepared by the Library District outlining the impact of the proposed legislation the issued is summarized. “The self-imposed levy limit instituted in tax year 2006 by Maricopa County has guided the current level of taxation for the Library District, while safeguarding citizens against large tax increases. The Levy limit proposed by House Bill 2379, implementing a levy limit based upon the 2014 levy, would be detrimental to the continuity of service provided to residents of (the county).”

The Town Council took up the issue on Feb. 6 as part of a discussion on the legislative agenda.

Mayor Linda Kavanagh said that while she finds the proposed legislation “unacceptable,” she really believes the bill will be fixed. She noted that her husband, Rep. John Kavanagh, would sit down with library board members to discuss the fixes.

“Even though fixes are proposed I believe we should take a position to oppose this bill,” Councilwoman Ginny Dickey said. “That may encourage the fixes.”

Dickey called the bill “legislative overreach” with the State Legislature attempting to tell the county how it should do things.

Councilman Henry Leger agreed with the overreach characterization and he noted other instances over the past few years that he believes fall into the same category – consolidated elections, Arizona Department of Water Resources billing municipalities and fund sweeps for highways and education.

Leger said the districts should be allowed to make adjustments to their tax levies as they see fit.

“The average for the last 12 years has been four cents,” Leger said. “This is insane. This is an argument not to cap, leave it to those district boards to manage their funds.”

Leger pointed out that if a person went to the library just one time instead of making a purchase at a bookstore they would save the yearly levy increase.

Dickey moved to have the council take a position in opposition to HB 2379, in support of the Friends of the Library.

Leger, Dickey, Councilman Dennis Brown and Councilman Cecil Yates voted for the motion. Mayor Kavanagh voted no.

Vice Mayor Cassie Hansen and Councilman Tait Elkie were absent.