Monday, June 10, 2013

Dueling Editorials: Dang Near Everything You Need to Know About The Pending Weber County Library Bonding Measure

Time to make up your minds, O Gentle Ones, as your mail-in ballots must be postmarked by June 24, and individual voting must be done by June 25

We'll put the focus this morning on an important issue looming this month, as Weber County lumpencitizens prepare to vote on proposed renovations and expansion of the Weber County Library system.

In a nutsell, the library bond would enable "changes to the Weber County Library System’s branches, including a larger parking lot for the Huntsville branch and upgrades to Ogden’s historic Main Library. The cost breaks down to $2.63 per month for a $161,000 residence and $4.77 per month on a business property of the same value," according to this June 3, 2013 Standard-Examiner story.

The Standard plays the role of the naysayer regarding this ballot measure, rejecting bond proponents' "all or nothing" approach, while encouraging future efforts to "pass a bond that would allocate money to repair the main library in Ogden."
Taking on the role of the "yeasayers" this morning are a couple of well-known local commentators whose scribblings have prominently appeared on the pages of the Standard over the years, namely frequent guest editorialist Bob Sawatzki and long-time "Wasatch Rambler" columnist Charlie Trentelman: 
The Weber County Library System also offers its own strong "pro bond" sales-pitch via the below-linked Special Bond Election Information page, which additionally provides you dang near everything you need to know about this pending ballot measure, including details about the deadline for submission of your mail-in ballots and instruction on how to individually vote on this measure by machine at 6 designated Weber County polling places:
Time to make up your minds, O Gentle Ones, as your mail-in ballots must be postmarked by June 24, and in-person machine voting must be done by June 25.

The floor's now open, WCF readers, to anyone who'd like to throw in your own 2¢ on this issue.

4 comments:

smaatguy said...

How much public money has been spent pushing this bond....there are billboards and signs all over town...if it's the Library, isn't that like having the fox in the hen house?? And having it take place in June...how convenient!!! when the cats (voters) away, the mice (WCL) will play...with your money taboot!

Danny said...

I'm going to vote No on the library bond and the pool bond.


The main library needs to be fixed but I don't think we need new branches.


And the Ogden School district is so mismanaged the last thing they need is a green light from voters for more taxing authority. They could fire a handful of $120,000 per year (plus benefits) district bureaucrats and use that money to pay for the bond to fix the pools. Let them do that.

Ann Booth said...

In response to the posted comment about public money being used to promote passage of the library bond, no money public money has been spent on the billboards and signs. All materials promoting a "yes" vote on the Library bond were paid by a separate organization, The Friends of the Library. This a voluntary organization which consists of people who want to support the Library and its services.

Charles Trentelman said...

Friends of the Library are paying for that -- no tax money. As to when the election is being held -- the county commission decided that, I believe, but feel free to check and correct me.

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