It’s one for the books: the three open seats on the Blanchard Community Library Board have drawn a field of six candidates, including the lone incumbent seeking another term.
Longtime library trustees Ed Geis and Ninette Reyes opted out of running for reelection to the board, which oversees library business, finances and personnel. Blanchard Community Library is one independent entity; in 2011 the library kicked off a gala centennial celebration that lasted a year.
For the November 6 Presidential Election, Santa Paula voters will have a rare chance to make a choice for the library board, as for years incumbents have run unopposed. Newcomers filing for a board seat are Kathy Ashby, Juan Corona Jr., Maureen Coughlin, Lisa Sorenson, and Linda Spink. Incumbent Beverly Mueller also filed nomination papers by the August 15 deadline, which had been extended five days due to Geis and Reyes not filing for their seats.
Voters will also be asked to approve the at-times confusing Measure U, which allows spending of funds already approved by voters. Identical Blanchard Community Library measures were on the ballot in 1990, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2004, and 2008.
Each property owner in the library’s district pays $40 a year per parcel. According to an earlier interview with Librarian Dan Robles, with this year’s Measure U, “We simply seek permission to spend the money we anticipate receiving during the next four years.” Measure U simply seeks to temporarily increase the Library District’s Appropriations Limit for four years, beginning July 1, 2014, and does not represent any new tax or cost to taxpayers.
