Urging the Mayor not to proceed with the borrowing of funds for the purpose of the Central Library expansion, as authorized by Bill No. 041041, until Council has held hearings to determine whether financing will unduly impact the operation of the remainder of the Free Library system.

WHEREAS,

Under Bill No. 041041 (approved January 25, 2005), Council approved funding for the Central Library Project, which includes the expansion of the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia and renovations to the existing Central Branch building. Bill No. 041041 authorized the issuance of up to $30 million in bonds by the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development (“PAID”), the repayment of which would be supported by rental payments the City would be obligated to make to PAID; and

WHEREAS,

The Administration represented to Council, during Council’s consideration of Bill No. 041041, that the Central Library Project would not impact the branch libraries in the Free Library System. However, after enactment of Bill No. 041041, and contrary to what Council had been led to believe would be the case, the Free Library has proposed that a number of branch libraries would go from full-day service to half-day, and without staffing by professional librarians; and

WHEREAS,

On March 31, 2005, Bill No. 050235 was introduced to repeal Bill No. 041041. It was the sponsor’s stated intention, in introducing Bill No. 050235, that Council would explore whether the borrowing of funds for the purpose of the Central Library expansion could proceed without unduly impacting the Free Library System, and to revoke Council’s authorization for financing if there were not assurances that appropriate funding would be restored to the Free Library System; and

WHEREAS,

There may be alternative means of funding the Central Library Project, not involving General Fund revenues, that would make available to the Free Library System monies that would otherwise go to support the repayment of debt issued by PAID; and

WHEREAS,

The overwhelming sense of Council is that it would be inappropriate for the Administration to proceed with any borrowings as authorized by Bill No. 041041, until hearings have been held on Bill No. 050235 and on how the Central Library Project may proceed without impacting the operation of the Free Library System; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,

THAT Council urges the Mayor not to proceed with the borrowing of funds for the purpose of the Central Library expansion, as authorized by Bill No. 041041, until Council has held hearings on Bill No. 050235 and determined the Central Library Project’s financing may proceed without unduly impacting the operation of the Free Library system.

End