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Larkspur City library board approves letter to city council citing low per‑capita budget and strong usage
Summary
The board approved a revised advocacy letter to the city council that highlights Larkspur’s low per‑capita library budget and comparatively high engagement; the letter and supporting graphs will be sent to the city clerk and included in the next council packet.
At its Feb. 9 meeting the Larkspur City Library Board of Trustees voted to approve an edited advocacy letter to the Larkspur City Council that stresses funding shortfalls and community engagement statistics as the new facility opens.
Board members asked that the letter emphasize comparative metrics showing Larkspur’s relatively low per‑capita library budget and high usage. The draft cited two headline figures: a per‑capita library budget of $68.83 for Larkspur compared with an average of $143.88 among neighboring Marin County libraries, and that nearly 50% of Larkspur residents hold library cards compared with roughly 33% nationally. Board members agreed to include a graph and supporting table as an appendix to the letter; staff said they would double‑check those figures for accuracy before the packet is finalized.
The board discussed wording choices — including whether to say 'per‑capita spending' or 'per‑capita budget' — and settled on 'per‑capita library budget' to avoid implying unspent funds. Members also discussed highlighting year‑over‑year changes in total circulation and the number of programming events to illustrate strong community engagement despite a smaller collection and shorter open hours.
After review of edits and appendices, a motion to approve the letter with the discussed changes was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. The board asked staff to transmit the final letter to the city clerk for inclusion in the next city council packet; staff indicated they would circulate the final black‑lined version to trustees before submission.
Next steps: staff will verify the statistics and attach comparative graphs; the final letter will be transmitted to the city clerk and become part of the public council packet.
