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4. Public Comment. Comment heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the Commission agenda. The Commission will also hear public comment during individual action items, with comment limited to three minutes per person. Comments are to be made to the Commission as a whole. Virtual Public Comment Eligible when facilities are available.
A speaker's viewpoint will not be restricted; however, reasonable restrictions may be imposed upon the time, place, and manner of speech. Irrelevant statements, unduly repetitious statements, and personal attacks that would objectively antagonize or incite others are examples of speech that may be reasonably limited.
The Board of County Commissioners carries out the business of Washoe County and its residents during its meetings. The presiding officer may order a person be removed if the person's conduct or statements disrupt the order or safety of the meeting. Warnings about disruptive conduct or comments may or may not be given prior to removal.
Furthermore, certain disruptions of a public meeting are criminal acts as defined under NRS 203.090 and/or NRS 203.119 which may result in prosecution in appropriate cases.
I am a homeowner and resident of district 5 and am a dedicated patron of the Northwest Library. My 2 young daughters and I visit the library at least once a week. We have found our community there, we find inspiration and information there and, most importantly, it keeps my daughters' love of learning burning bright. Our family was devastated to learn that WC-1 did not pass. I know this isn't because our community doesn't use or value our libraries, as evidenced by the vibrant activity at every library branch and the over 1 million visits that occur annually. I truly believe if all Washoe County voters had been provided with clear wording on the ballot and with accurate information about the funding -- that it would NOT increase existing taxes in any way -- they would have proudly and enthusiastically voted YES to support the vital resource of our county's libraries. I am asking the county commission to do the right thing by our community, and especially our children, and continue the funding that our libraries need and deserve.
I am a resident of commission district 1 and I am writing in support of funding for Washoe County Public Libraries. The wording of WC-1 was incredibly misleading and it's failure is not a true representation of the opinions of the residents of our county. The public libraries in this county are excellent and are a great resource especially for children and families. If the libraries are subjected to a budget cuts they will have to reduce their weekend and evening hours. These hours in particular are the only times many working people like myself are able to visit the libraries.
Public libraries are a beacon of freedom in our country, where people can go to learn and be welcomed regardless of their economic or political standing. It is in line with the values of our state and country to ensure that libraries remain open and funded in order to serve the public.
I implore the board to allocate the same level of funding to the libraries. We cannot afford to lose this precious resource.
Have you seen that beautiful, new bookmobile? I am so excited about it and love seeing it out and about in our community. It is just another reason I love our library system. The community spaces that the library offers and all the the varied services like the bookmobile are so important for the health and growth of our community. I am a longtime resident and homeowner in District 2, and I am so disappointed by the failure of WC-1. We love our big, yellow library and visit it and/or other libraries in the system at least weekly. That is why I'm adding my voice to those of the many other concerned citizens of Washoe County here to ask that the Board do whatever they can to continue to provide as much funding as they can for the Library System.
My name is Ted Lambert, and I am a mathematics professor at Truckee Meadows Community College. My wife, Alisa, and I are proud residents of District 2 and regular patrons of the Washoe County Library System. I am writing to strongly urge you to maintain library funding at its current level.
While it was unfortunate that Washoe County Question 1 was voted down, I believe much of the confusion stemmed from the ballot language. Many voters may have misunderstood that a "Yes" vote would not increase taxes. Regardless, it's clear that maintaining the library's funding at its current level is essential for the future of our community.
As a family, we rely on the library for much more than just books. As a professor, I encourage my students to use library resources for research, quiet study, and materials not available in the classroom. The library helps bridge the gap for students who lack resources at home, offering access to computers, the internet, and educational materials. It is an invaluable resource for those seeking education or employment.
Libraries are also vital for community engagement. Their offerings provide opportunities for people of all ages to engage, learn, and grow. The prospect of reduced funding, which could limit these programs, is deeply concerning.
If funding is cut, it will disproportionately affect those who depend on the library the most—families with limited means, seniors, and individuals without reliable internet access. For many, the library is the only place to access information, job resources, or learn new skills.
As Washoe County grows, it is crucial that we continue to support our libraries to meet the needs of a diverse population. Libraries provide universal access to learning, culture, and civic engagement. Cutting funding would be a short-sighted decision that undermines the future of our community.
Please consider the long-term impact of these funding decisions and maintain the library system's funding. A strong library system is an investment in our community’s future.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ted Lambert
Mathematics Professor, Truckee Meadows Community College
Resident, District 2
I'm writing to express my support for our public libraries and urge the commissioners to allocate funds to the Washoe County library system. After WC-1's failure in the recent election, the libraries' source of guaranteed funding has disappeared. Libraries are a critical resource for tens of thousands of people in the county, and I would hate to see my friends and neighbors lose such an important resource due to funding issues. I myself am a frequent patron of the Sierra View and Downtown libraries.
Please do what you can to ensure that the libraries continue to receive funding to operate at 100%. Investing in libraries is investing in our community, our neighbors, and ourselves, and every cent given to the libraries provides incalculable returns. Libraries provide access to knowledge, safe spaces, community programming, fun events, employment resources, research help, and so much more. Please fund our libraries.
I am a resident of commission district 1. I am commenting in support of protecting Washoe County library system's vital source of funding. Our public libraries are an extremely valuable public resource, used by many. Please continue to support our public libraries by guaranteeing their continued funding. Thank you
Hi, I’m a student at the University of Nevada, Reno and a Reno resident in Mariluz Garcia’s district. This year, I checked out dozens of books from the Washoe County Library system, and I believe that funding public libraries is the most important thing anyone’s tax dollars can do. We have libraries because we’ve decided that access to art, information and skills is so important that it cannot depend on your income. Regardless of whether voters misinformed about the property tax allocation believed it would levy new taxes, the fact of libraries’ importance remains true.
This year, three locations served as evacuation centers for area fires, thousands were served by the libraries’ expanding service area through the bookmobile program, and new kiosks in the Downtown Reno and Sparks libraries allow residents to handle legal matters and apply for housing help. Most people don’t even realize the level of public service libraries could achieve if they were fully-funded—beyond even what they were allocated under the policy that was set for renewal this year. It may be easy to imagine gutting libraries entirely if you’re privileged enough to have a computer and wireless access at home, enough money to buy your own books, and, ultimately, a place to shelter indoors during the day.
What is not easy is imagining the state of public space, access to resources, and literacy in this county if the anti-library constituency gets what it wants and you all decide that gutting this community pillar is the will of the people. Conglomerates like Amazon would have you believe that libraries are dead — that Americans are happy to pay for corporate versions of what public libraries have been doing for longer than all of us have been alive. But in Mariluz Garcia’s district alone, libraries saw 270,608 checkouts last year. Imagine how many more they could see if Reno residents knew they could get audiobooks for free through their public libraries via Libby, instead of shelling out for something like Audible. And I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the vital role libraries play in connecting people with literature that speaks truth to power, and represents diverse experiences. Will you stand up for those stories?
I am a Reno resident in District 1 and an educator at the University. I am writing to request that the board fully fund the Washoe County Library System (WCLS). Our libraries, as they are now, are important community gathering places and centers for education, and the WCLS has been directly impactful to me and many others in my life. A fellow educator recently moved to Reno, and she and I created a book club of two; I was happy to be able to recommend her neighborhood library as an exemplary Reno institution. Last week, another colleague spent a few hours at the library with their partner and very young children when power went out at their house. They could do this because the library is a safe place, and everyone from a toddler to a professor is welcome to be there. I know young people who volunteer at the library and others for whom library “story time” was their primary social activity before they reached school age. One only has to look around on a Sunday afternoon, as I recently did at the Northwest branch, to see the many ways the library is utilized by the community: teenagers were organized into pairs playing chess, retirees were reading quietly, and a study room was occupied by young adults. It made me proud and grateful to know that a public space in my town was so well-used and well-maintained. Personally, the WCLS has been a resource and comfort to me since I was a child. There are data points that I wish I knew about my own life, information that I think would be revealing about what I value most: I wish I knew how many miles I’ve run, how many tacos I’ve prepared, and how many library books I’ve borrowed - because, like exercise and shared meals, the many, many books I’ve brought home from the library have been, quite simply, fundamental to my human experience. Please keep our libraries, a valuable resource and source of community pride, fully funded.
I am writing to express my support for the Washoe County Library system. Although the WC-1 ballot measure failed to pass, I appeal to the county commissioners to reallocate funds slated to be deposited into the general fund back to the Washoe County Library system budget.
The library system is one of the last institutions that serves as a free gathering place for all people in the county, regardless of race, color, or creed. It is a bastion of open access information in the community. Apportioned funds enable home schoolers to not only have a place to gather learning materials and take STEM classes but also serve as a place to socialize without cost. The library similarly is a safe space for kids in the public school to stay after school hours so they have access to the internet and free homework help. Young children and their families benefit by having open access to reading materials, improving literacy and engagement, and also giving their parents and caretakers a reprieve from the routine of home life. Job seekers can get resources in writing resumes and social services. Elderly patrons can participate in free classes with their peers, including learning technologies that can help them keep in touch with loved ones, or learn how to recognize dangerous online scams. Those learning English as a second language can receive help they need thanks to bilingual librarians employed in the system. I am very grateful to all this work and more that the Washoe County Library employees do to enrich our community. Personally, I enjoy attending free concerts and movie programs, borrowing state park passes, and reading new books that the library provides at my preferred branch, the Sparks Library. And I have also enjoyed being a patron of the Spanish Springs, Downtown, Northwest, South Meadows, Incline Village, and my nearby North Valleys branch as a District 5 homeowner.
Defunding the library system is an injustice to those who benefit most from the library-- its patrons. I urge you to please vote to fund the library system so that its services are still available to all without changes to hours, availability of materials, or lack of staffing. Supporting the library supports civic good.
Our libraries are cornerstones of knowledge, community, and opportunity. Recently, a measure passed that threatens to strip $4.5 million in funding from local libraries—funds that are crucial for maintaining essential services like free access to books, educational programs, and public resources that our communities rely on. The decision was made through a voting process that many feel was unclear and lacked transparency, leaving libraries vulnerable to drastic cuts. Without this vital funding, libraries could face significant closures, reduced hours, and diminished resources for those who rely on them most. We urge our community to rally in support of our libraries and ensure they remain fully funded, accessible, and able to continue serving as a beacon of learning for all. Let’s stand together to protect these invaluable institutions from unnecessary setbacks.
As a retired teacher and a member of the volunteer group Friends of the Washoe County Library, I am asking that you please continue dedicated funding for the WC Library System.
I use the South Valleys Library on a weekly basis. I no longer buy books because I know that my library either has what I need and want or will find a way to get it. I would not have survived the pandemic lockdown without the help of the e-book checkout system offered by the library. Because of my work with the FWCL, I know the enormous amount of programs offered by the libraries, which we help to financially subsidize with our book sales five times a year.
Have you ever been to our book sales? I invite you to attend our next one January 11-19 next to the Sierra View Library. You will see the good work done by lovers of books and reading that helps our library system. Would you also please vote to help our library system?
I am a resident of District 2. I am writing to strongly urge the Board to continue funding the library at the current level. I was highly disappointed that WC-1 did not pass as it simply continues allocating funds to the library (not a new tax). When I first moved here I was very impressed with the library system and I would hate to see it decline due to confusion and possible misinformation provided to voters. I use the library frequently by checking out books, space to work, attending cool community and local author events, etc. The WCLS is one of the best things in our area and is hugely beneficial to our Washoe community! Again, I urge you to maintain the funding for our incredible libraries!
I would like to say how important the library system is to me, and how desperately it needs funding.
From District 2, the library system to me has always managed to turn coal into diamonds despite being criminally underfunded.
Having a variable source of funding, the library system, is a privilege that everyone can use and deserves to be protected. My family and I use it frequently, and it is always a rich and peaceful environment. The system has maneuvred numerous barriers in helping people, and sadly taken for granted. This voting measure is disappointing because I felt that it would increase taxes, however it has come to my attention this is not the case. Having 4.5 million in budget cuts is astounding, and the fact that it comes after all that the library system has accomplished since the pandemic is a gross error.
Please fund the libraries. They must be protected, they are one of the most vulnerable government agencies.
My name is Taylor Brown, and I am a Sparks resident who often uses the Spanish Springs Library as a workspace. I am writing in support of preserving library funding. Libraries are essential to our community, offering programs and services that benefit people of all ages. Growing up in Windsor, CT, I spent countless hours at our town’s one public library. The programs and events there sparked my love of learning, shaping the path that has led me to where I am today. I urge the Commissioners to protect the funding of our libraries so they can continue to provide these invaluable resources to our community.
I am a resident of District 3. I hope that this board can see that in light of disinformation about WC-1 and the close vote, it makes sense to continue funding the libraries as they have been. We are not asking to overturn the vote, but to use your discretion as elected officials to continue to support such a valuable community service that the libraries are.
I'm commenting to support retaining library funding in Washoe County. Public libraries are such an important part of our community and they deserve all the necessary funding to remain open. So many benefit from the libraries here, myself included. They NEED to remain operational.
I'm writing to express my concern of the potential loss of $4.5 million to the Washoe County Library system due to the no vote on WC-1. This no vote was a direct result of a mis-information campaign by the Washoe County Republicans who advertised it as "the creation of a revenue stream and an increase to resident property taxes." I have every confidence that it would have been approved if everyone knew that it was a continuation of a revenue stream approved thirty years ago and would have no impact on anyone's taxes.
As a senior citizen on a fixed income, I am very concerned about this impact on the Library budget. The loss of personnel, books, and available open hours will have a huge impact on those of us who rely on the Libraries for books and information and for access to technology. I use the Downtown Reno Library regularly to check out books and audio books and to use magazines such as Consumer Reports. I have come to rely on it as a clean, quiet, beautiful place of refuge, as have many others.
I urge you to consider dedicating that same revenue stream to the Libraries during the budget process. Those who voted no on this initiative had no idea what they were voting against.
. I’m a grandmother, mom, retired teacher. I can’t express how important libraries are to our students (especially those who are home schooled and may not have access to school libraries) and seniors (who may not have money to buy books, may need current information, or access to computers.) Of course you know how well used the community rooms are for all kinds of meetings from knitting groups to car enthusiasts to neighborhood councils and alliances. I regularly use the South Valleys Library and would be affected by cuts in hours or services. I understand that returning funding to libraries following the failure of WC1 would not cause additional taxes. It would be a boon to your community from preschoolers to senior citizens. Please support continuing to fund the libraries at the current level . Respectfully, Suzanne Williams 19645 Paddlewheel Lane, Reno, NV
In light of the failed ballot measure, I encourage the Board to maintain libray funding and support expanding library services hours, and staff in whatever way the County can. Our libraries are indispensable for an educated and vibrant community.
I am writing to support and strongly urge the City Commissioners to maintain the Washoe County Library funding. Libraries are invaluable resources for our community and provide accessible, affordable spaces and services for people of all ages. Everyone deserves access to educational resources and books just for the fun of reading. I was deeply disappointed to learn that WC-1 did not pass and encourage the Commissioners choose to continue providing this vital resource to our community members.
I am a homeowner and resident of district 5 and am a dedicated patron of the Northwest Library. My 2 young daughters and I visit the library at least once a week. We have found our community there, we find inspiration and information there and, most importantly, it keeps my daughters' love of learning burning bright. Our family was devastated to learn that WC-1 did not pass. I know this isn't because our community doesn't use or value our libraries, as evidenced by the vibrant activity at every library branch and the over 1 million visits that occur annually. I truly believe if all Washoe County voters had been provided with clear wording on the ballot and with accurate information about the funding -- that it would NOT increase existing taxes in any way -- they would have proudly and enthusiastically voted YES to support the vital resource of our county's libraries. I am asking the county commission to do the right thing by our community, and especially our children, and continue the funding that our libraries need and deserve.
I am a resident of commission district 1 and I am writing in support of funding for Washoe County Public Libraries. The wording of WC-1 was incredibly misleading and it's failure is not a true representation of the opinions of the residents of our county. The public libraries in this county are excellent and are a great resource especially for children and families. If the libraries are subjected to a budget cuts they will have to reduce their weekend and evening hours. These hours in particular are the only times many working people like myself are able to visit the libraries.
Public libraries are a beacon of freedom in our country, where people can go to learn and be welcomed regardless of their economic or political standing. It is in line with the values of our state and country to ensure that libraries remain open and funded in order to serve the public.
I implore the board to allocate the same level of funding to the libraries. We cannot afford to lose this precious resource.
Have you seen that beautiful, new bookmobile? I am so excited about it and love seeing it out and about in our community. It is just another reason I love our library system. The community spaces that the library offers and all the the varied services like the bookmobile are so important for the health and growth of our community. I am a longtime resident and homeowner in District 2, and I am so disappointed by the failure of WC-1. We love our big, yellow library and visit it and/or other libraries in the system at least weekly. That is why I'm adding my voice to those of the many other concerned citizens of Washoe County here to ask that the Board do whatever they can to continue to provide as much funding as they can for the Library System.
Dear Commissioners,
My name is Ted Lambert, and I am a mathematics professor at Truckee Meadows Community College. My wife, Alisa, and I are proud residents of District 2 and regular patrons of the Washoe County Library System. I am writing to strongly urge you to maintain library funding at its current level.
While it was unfortunate that Washoe County Question 1 was voted down, I believe much of the confusion stemmed from the ballot language. Many voters may have misunderstood that a "Yes" vote would not increase taxes. Regardless, it's clear that maintaining the library's funding at its current level is essential for the future of our community.
As a family, we rely on the library for much more than just books. As a professor, I encourage my students to use library resources for research, quiet study, and materials not available in the classroom. The library helps bridge the gap for students who lack resources at home, offering access to computers, the internet, and educational materials. It is an invaluable resource for those seeking education or employment.
Libraries are also vital for community engagement. Their offerings provide opportunities for people of all ages to engage, learn, and grow. The prospect of reduced funding, which could limit these programs, is deeply concerning.
If funding is cut, it will disproportionately affect those who depend on the library the most—families with limited means, seniors, and individuals without reliable internet access. For many, the library is the only place to access information, job resources, or learn new skills.
As Washoe County grows, it is crucial that we continue to support our libraries to meet the needs of a diverse population. Libraries provide universal access to learning, culture, and civic engagement. Cutting funding would be a short-sighted decision that undermines the future of our community.
Please consider the long-term impact of these funding decisions and maintain the library system's funding. A strong library system is an investment in our community’s future.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ted Lambert
Mathematics Professor, Truckee Meadows Community College
Resident, District 2
I'm writing to express my support for our public libraries and urge the commissioners to allocate funds to the Washoe County library system. After WC-1's failure in the recent election, the libraries' source of guaranteed funding has disappeared. Libraries are a critical resource for tens of thousands of people in the county, and I would hate to see my friends and neighbors lose such an important resource due to funding issues. I myself am a frequent patron of the Sierra View and Downtown libraries.
Please do what you can to ensure that the libraries continue to receive funding to operate at 100%. Investing in libraries is investing in our community, our neighbors, and ourselves, and every cent given to the libraries provides incalculable returns. Libraries provide access to knowledge, safe spaces, community programming, fun events, employment resources, research help, and so much more. Please fund our libraries.
I am a resident of commission district 1. I am commenting in support of protecting Washoe County library system's vital source of funding. Our public libraries are an extremely valuable public resource, used by many. Please continue to support our public libraries by guaranteeing their continued funding. Thank you
Hi, I’m a student at the University of Nevada, Reno and a Reno resident in Mariluz Garcia’s district. This year, I checked out dozens of books from the Washoe County Library system, and I believe that funding public libraries is the most important thing anyone’s tax dollars can do. We have libraries because we’ve decided that access to art, information and skills is so important that it cannot depend on your income. Regardless of whether voters misinformed about the property tax allocation believed it would levy new taxes, the fact of libraries’ importance remains true.
This year, three locations served as evacuation centers for area fires, thousands were served by the libraries’ expanding service area through the bookmobile program, and new kiosks in the Downtown Reno and Sparks libraries allow residents to handle legal matters and apply for housing help. Most people don’t even realize the level of public service libraries could achieve if they were fully-funded—beyond even what they were allocated under the policy that was set for renewal this year. It may be easy to imagine gutting libraries entirely if you’re privileged enough to have a computer and wireless access at home, enough money to buy your own books, and, ultimately, a place to shelter indoors during the day.
What is not easy is imagining the state of public space, access to resources, and literacy in this county if the anti-library constituency gets what it wants and you all decide that gutting this community pillar is the will of the people. Conglomerates like Amazon would have you believe that libraries are dead — that Americans are happy to pay for corporate versions of what public libraries have been doing for longer than all of us have been alive. But in Mariluz Garcia’s district alone, libraries saw 270,608 checkouts last year. Imagine how many more they could see if Reno residents knew they could get audiobooks for free through their public libraries via Libby, instead of shelling out for something like Audible. And I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the vital role libraries play in connecting people with literature that speaks truth to power, and represents diverse experiences. Will you stand up for those stories?
I am a Reno resident in District 1 and an educator at the University. I am writing to request that the board fully fund the Washoe County Library System (WCLS). Our libraries, as they are now, are important community gathering places and centers for education, and the WCLS has been directly impactful to me and many others in my life. A fellow educator recently moved to Reno, and she and I created a book club of two; I was happy to be able to recommend her neighborhood library as an exemplary Reno institution. Last week, another colleague spent a few hours at the library with their partner and very young children when power went out at their house. They could do this because the library is a safe place, and everyone from a toddler to a professor is welcome to be there. I know young people who volunteer at the library and others for whom library “story time” was their primary social activity before they reached school age. One only has to look around on a Sunday afternoon, as I recently did at the Northwest branch, to see the many ways the library is utilized by the community: teenagers were organized into pairs playing chess, retirees were reading quietly, and a study room was occupied by young adults. It made me proud and grateful to know that a public space in my town was so well-used and well-maintained. Personally, the WCLS has been a resource and comfort to me since I was a child. There are data points that I wish I knew about my own life, information that I think would be revealing about what I value most: I wish I knew how many miles I’ve run, how many tacos I’ve prepared, and how many library books I’ve borrowed - because, like exercise and shared meals, the many, many books I’ve brought home from the library have been, quite simply, fundamental to my human experience. Please keep our libraries, a valuable resource and source of community pride, fully funded.
I am writing to express my support for the Washoe County Library system. Although the WC-1 ballot measure failed to pass, I appeal to the county commissioners to reallocate funds slated to be deposited into the general fund back to the Washoe County Library system budget.
The library system is one of the last institutions that serves as a free gathering place for all people in the county, regardless of race, color, or creed. It is a bastion of open access information in the community. Apportioned funds enable home schoolers to not only have a place to gather learning materials and take STEM classes but also serve as a place to socialize without cost. The library similarly is a safe space for kids in the public school to stay after school hours so they have access to the internet and free homework help. Young children and their families benefit by having open access to reading materials, improving literacy and engagement, and also giving their parents and caretakers a reprieve from the routine of home life. Job seekers can get resources in writing resumes and social services. Elderly patrons can participate in free classes with their peers, including learning technologies that can help them keep in touch with loved ones, or learn how to recognize dangerous online scams. Those learning English as a second language can receive help they need thanks to bilingual librarians employed in the system. I am very grateful to all this work and more that the Washoe County Library employees do to enrich our community. Personally, I enjoy attending free concerts and movie programs, borrowing state park passes, and reading new books that the library provides at my preferred branch, the Sparks Library. And I have also enjoyed being a patron of the Spanish Springs, Downtown, Northwest, South Meadows, Incline Village, and my nearby North Valleys branch as a District 5 homeowner.
Defunding the library system is an injustice to those who benefit most from the library-- its patrons. I urge you to please vote to fund the library system so that its services are still available to all without changes to hours, availability of materials, or lack of staffing. Supporting the library supports civic good.
Our libraries are cornerstones of knowledge, community, and opportunity. Recently, a measure passed that threatens to strip $4.5 million in funding from local libraries—funds that are crucial for maintaining essential services like free access to books, educational programs, and public resources that our communities rely on. The decision was made through a voting process that many feel was unclear and lacked transparency, leaving libraries vulnerable to drastic cuts. Without this vital funding, libraries could face significant closures, reduced hours, and diminished resources for those who rely on them most. We urge our community to rally in support of our libraries and ensure they remain fully funded, accessible, and able to continue serving as a beacon of learning for all. Let’s stand together to protect these invaluable institutions from unnecessary setbacks.
As a retired teacher and a member of the volunteer group Friends of the Washoe County Library, I am asking that you please continue dedicated funding for the WC Library System.
I use the South Valleys Library on a weekly basis. I no longer buy books because I know that my library either has what I need and want or will find a way to get it. I would not have survived the pandemic lockdown without the help of the e-book checkout system offered by the library. Because of my work with the FWCL, I know the enormous amount of programs offered by the libraries, which we help to financially subsidize with our book sales five times a year.
Have you ever been to our book sales? I invite you to attend our next one January 11-19 next to the Sierra View Library. You will see the good work done by lovers of books and reading that helps our library system. Would you also please vote to help our library system?
I am a resident of District 2. I am writing to strongly urge the Board to continue funding the library at the current level. I was highly disappointed that WC-1 did not pass as it simply continues allocating funds to the library (not a new tax). When I first moved here I was very impressed with the library system and I would hate to see it decline due to confusion and possible misinformation provided to voters. I use the library frequently by checking out books, space to work, attending cool community and local author events, etc. The WCLS is one of the best things in our area and is hugely beneficial to our Washoe community! Again, I urge you to maintain the funding for our incredible libraries!
I would like to say how important the library system is to me, and how desperately it needs funding.
From District 2, the library system to me has always managed to turn coal into diamonds despite being criminally underfunded.
Having a variable source of funding, the library system, is a privilege that everyone can use and deserves to be protected. My family and I use it frequently, and it is always a rich and peaceful environment. The system has maneuvred numerous barriers in helping people, and sadly taken for granted. This voting measure is disappointing because I felt that it would increase taxes, however it has come to my attention this is not the case. Having 4.5 million in budget cuts is astounding, and the fact that it comes after all that the library system has accomplished since the pandemic is a gross error.
Please fund the libraries. They must be protected, they are one of the most vulnerable government agencies.
My name is Taylor Brown, and I am a Sparks resident who often uses the Spanish Springs Library as a workspace. I am writing in support of preserving library funding. Libraries are essential to our community, offering programs and services that benefit people of all ages. Growing up in Windsor, CT, I spent countless hours at our town’s one public library. The programs and events there sparked my love of learning, shaping the path that has led me to where I am today. I urge the Commissioners to protect the funding of our libraries so they can continue to provide these invaluable resources to our community.
I am a resident of District 3. I hope that this board can see that in light of disinformation about WC-1 and the close vote, it makes sense to continue funding the libraries as they have been. We are not asking to overturn the vote, but to use your discretion as elected officials to continue to support such a valuable community service that the libraries are.
Good afternoon Commissioners,
I'm commenting to support retaining library funding in Washoe County. Public libraries are such an important part of our community and they deserve all the necessary funding to remain open. So many benefit from the libraries here, myself included. They NEED to remain operational.
Thank you.
Dear Commissioners,
I'm writing to express my concern of the potential loss of $4.5 million to the Washoe County Library system due to the no vote on WC-1. This no vote was a direct result of a mis-information campaign by the Washoe County Republicans who advertised it as "the creation of a revenue stream and an increase to resident property taxes." I have every confidence that it would have been approved if everyone knew that it was a continuation of a revenue stream approved thirty years ago and would have no impact on anyone's taxes.
As a senior citizen on a fixed income, I am very concerned about this impact on the Library budget. The loss of personnel, books, and available open hours will have a huge impact on those of us who rely on the Libraries for books and information and for access to technology. I use the Downtown Reno Library regularly to check out books and audio books and to use magazines such as Consumer Reports. I have come to rely on it as a clean, quiet, beautiful place of refuge, as have many others.
I urge you to consider dedicating that same revenue stream to the Libraries during the budget process. Those who voted no on this initiative had no idea what they were voting against.
Thank you for your consideration.
. I’m a grandmother, mom, retired teacher. I can’t express how important libraries are to our students (especially those who are home schooled and may not have access to school libraries) and seniors (who may not have money to buy books, may need current information, or access to computers.) Of course you know how well used the community rooms are for all kinds of meetings from knitting groups to car enthusiasts to neighborhood councils and alliances. I regularly use the South Valleys Library and would be affected by cuts in hours or services. I understand that returning funding to libraries following the failure of WC1 would not cause additional taxes. It would be a boon to your community from preschoolers to senior citizens. Please support continuing to fund the libraries at the current level . Respectfully, Suzanne Williams 19645 Paddlewheel Lane, Reno, NV
In light of the failed ballot measure, I encourage the Board to maintain libray funding and support expanding library services hours, and staff in whatever way the County can. Our libraries are indispensable for an educated and vibrant community.
Robbin Palmer, Ph.D.
I am writing to support and strongly urge the City Commissioners to maintain the Washoe County Library funding. Libraries are invaluable resources for our community and provide accessible, affordable spaces and services for people of all ages. Everyone deserves access to educational resources and books just for the fun of reading. I was deeply disappointed to learn that WC-1 did not pass and encourage the Commissioners choose to continue providing this vital resource to our community members.