Los Altos Hills Appoints Jean Mordo to Negotiate Library Issues

The Los Altos Hills Town Council voted unanimously to appoint council member Jean Mordo as its representative to meet with the county over library funding issues.

Mordo provided a document that showed Los Altos Hills and Los Altos had provided $7.5 million in parcel tax revenue to the Santa Clara County Library District, yet received only $6.1 million in services. 

"That's a shortfall of $1.4 million a year," Mordo said, adding that he thought the town of Los Altos Hills and the city of Los Altos would be able to afford to build its own library in any new civic center if it had that same money available to them.

Mordo is also chair of the North County Library Authority, which had been poised to commission a study of the feasibility of seceding from the library district. But when the Joint Powers Authority (JPA), which runs the library district, extended the offer to discuss concerns with members from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills Mordo proposed suspending that action while talks proceed.

Mordo presented the following motion:

While we continue to support the examination of all alternatives to provide library services to our residents—including separation from the Santa Clara County Library System—we are willing to explore what changes can be accomplished through negotiation with the member cities. To this effect, we appoint Jean Mordo to represent Los Altos Hills in this endeavor. 

The Los Altos City Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday and will consider a similar vote to appoint a member of the negotiating team.