Tax to support county library headed to November ballot

Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday formally approved a November ballot measure that seeks more money for the county’s library system.

The sales tax increase of one-eighth of a cent would generate an estimated $100 million for the library system over the next decade. The measure requires a two-thirds majority to pass. It received unanimous support from the board.

Advocates say the tax increase is needed to shore up a library system that has been beset in recent years with financial and management problems, leading to a revision of the system’s joint-powers agreement.

The proposed ordinance requires the money to be used solely to fund library operations. Specifically, the expenditure plan calls for restoring hours at the 13 branches that make up the system, upgrading facilities and extending services to “the unserved and under-served areas of the county.”