We’ve long been concerned about the way political bodies use their power to weigh in on bond and other measures that affect their districts. It’s a common problem with school boards, which typically follow the letter of the law by not specifically advocating a “yes” vote on such spending plans, but send “informational” brochures to parents that are thinly veiled advocacy pieces.
So we’re sympathetic to the Huntington Beach City Council’s consternation after the Ocean View School District board voted to back two library initiatives that voters will decide next month. They aren’t bond measures or directly related to the district, but the board’s vote still is unseemly. The council called for the city attorney to consider contacting any appropriate oversight agencies after the school board agreed to send copies of the support resolution to district parents.
“Dissemination of advocacy communication using taxpayer-funded platforms may constitute unlawful electioneering,” said Councilman Chad Williams in a VoiceofOC report. That’s a fair point, although the conservative City Council—known for its headline-grabbing MAGA antics—is hardly a bastion of apolitical governance. The council’s decision to also call for an investigation into Friends of the Huntington Beach Public Library, a nonprofit group, reinforces critics’ claim that it’s a political stunt.
We have mixed feelings on the initiatives. Public-library supporters qualified two measures. Measure A would repeal the council’s creation of a not-yet-empaneled book-review committee to prevent children from checking out unapproved books. Measure B would make it harder for any city-backed effort to privatize libraries.
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NDAs are for Hollywood, not Sacramento Three common sense bills in Sacramento The ‘intifada’ leaves two dead in our nation’s capital Trump’s designs for Shasta Dam are long overdue All who fell deserve honor and respect We support A, as city councils have no business creating censorship panels. We oppose B. Even though the city dropped its privatization plans, other Southern California libraries have improved their library services by outsourcing them to private operators. Whatever the motives of the current council, there’s no legitimate reason future councils should be hamstrung with a costly requirement that voters have to approve decisions about library outsourcing.It’s unfortunate the council has turned library issues into another divisive battle, but it has a point about elected bodies inserting themselves into initiatives—whatever the legality. Elected officials on the board and council should let the voters decide these simple issues—and stick to running their respective agencies in an efficient manner.
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Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Don’t overcomplicate libraries in Huntington Beach. Yes on A, No on B. )
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