Citing county-funding issues and a potential financial boon, Santa Clarita will consider taking three of the Santa Clarita Valley's four libraries into its fold, the city council announced during a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday.

City officials mentioned two benefits at the meeting: The move would keep local tax dollars in town instead of bolstering an already beleaguered county library system, and a city-run library system would cost less and provide more services like longer hours.

"If the city were to assume the responsibilities of our three libraries, we could use all the local tax dollars to do a lot of things," Councilwoman Laurie Ender said.

Ender and Councilwoman Marsha McLean are members of the city's ad hoc committee on libraries.

On behalf of the committee, Ender requested a public hearing be scheduled during the Santa Clarita City Council's Aug. 24 meeting.

Santa Clarita is one of only five cities in the county that draws a surplus in the library system.

The city's $416,668 surplus last year from its libraries helped to balance the shortfalls of dozens of other cities where the cost of running libraries exceeds the city's income from property-tax revenues, according to a Los Angeles County report on operating cost.

Those shortfalls have caused reduced operating hours and days for many libraries in the Los Angeles County Library System. Santa Clarita's Valencia Library, Jo Anne Darcy Library and Newhall Library have not yet had their hours of operation affected.

But city residents pay more in property tax than the library system spends on Santa Clarita. The city has requested that the county use the surplus to invest in the Santa Clarita Valley's libraries. For example, the city's Redevelopment Agency is paying for the new Newhall Library.

If the city created its own library district, its surplus would be freed up for investments such as the Newhall Library. Any savings through more efficient operations would also be available for local use.

Not only does the city contribute more money to the county system than it gets back, but city officials estimate that the city could run the city's three libraries more efficiently with a contracted library-management service.

Santa Clarita's taxpayers were charged more than $1 million in administrative costs according to a county report.

The process by which the city could assume control of the three libraries is laid out in state education law.

The city would make a formal request to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors by December 2, allowing for a seven-month notice to the county. The city does not need the approval of the board.

As of July 1, 2011, property-tax revenue for libraries would go to the city rather than the county.
Castaic Library would remain in the county system.

The city owns the Jo Anne Darcy Library in Canyon Country and will own the new Newhall Library, which is currently under construction. The city would buy the Valencia Library at fair market value as determined by an assessor, which is outlined by state law.

City officials estimated Valencia Library's worth at $4.6 million. The purchase price of the Valencia and Jo Anne Darcy libraries' book collections, as well as the purchase of a new collection for the new Newhall Library, are estimated to cost an additional $2.5 million.