DOES IRETON’S LIBRARY SITE PROPOSAL VIOLATE PUBLIC TRUST?

At the risk of being misled by the Daily Times – and not for the first time – it seems that Mr. Ireton wants the City to, in essence, give one or more pieces of City land to the County library for a new location. The sale price, according to the article, would not go into the City’s treasury to furnish additional revenue that Ireton claims in this recent budget proposal is much needed to fund operations that have been curtailed for lack of money. Instead, it states that under the proposal “the $750,000 in acquisition funding is put into escrow and reinvested into the project.”

In other words, the City would be donating the land to the County library by giving the purchase money back.

The library is for the entire County, but City residents would, in effect bear a larger part of the cost of the new facility than other County residents. And aren’t there laws that require the City to dispose of its property for cash in hand, and not in escrow for others to use?

The scheme also seems inconsistent with the City’s longstanding request that City residents should have a lower rate (“tax differential”) on their County property taxes because of the benefits that the City provides – roads, etc. -- at no cost to the County.

Mr. Ireton’s proposal raises even more profound issues than those involving the best location for a new library and whether one should be built at this time.