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Residents and library commissioners urge Carpinteria City Council to protect library programs amid budget pressure
Summary
Library supporters told the council June 8 that the library’s bilingual programs and intensive outreach reach hundreds daily and should be preserved as the city weighs mid‑year budget cuts and reductions to library programming.
Residents, library commissioners and staff urged the Carpinteria City Council to shield the municipal library from proposed cuts as the council considered mid‑year budget reductions.
Daniel Manríquez Osborn, who identified himself as a library commissioner, told the council he supports the library and asked the city to maintain funding and programs, saying they serve children, teens and adults. "La biblioteca es una joya para nuestra comunidad y queremos que siga siendo así," he said.
Eric, the library director, described the library’s operations and outreach: he reported daily foot traffic and online engagement, a summer reading program starting June 15, and an array of bilingual, free programs. He told the council the library runs roughly "650 programs" with a small staff and volunteers, reaches children through school visits and provides bilingual materials.
Public commenters, including Rogelio Delgado, reiterated that budget cuts would reduce services and programs and urged the council to preserve library funding. Councilmembers acknowledged the concerns and said they would consider the library’s needs as they reviewed mid‑year adjustments later in the meeting.
The council did not take a separate vote on library funding at this meeting; the library’s budget position will be considered in the broader mid‑year budget adjustments adopted later in the agenda.
