Letter Re: Restore Provincial Support for Libraries

May 29, 2019,

To The Union of British Columbia Municipalities,

I am writing on behalf of Victoria City Council, requesting favourable consideration and resolutions of support to restore Provincial support for libraries.

At the May 23, 2019 Council Meeting, Council approved the following resolution:

WHEREAS WHEREAS libraries are a social justice equalizer that provide universal access to information and learning materials irrespective of income levels;

WHEREAS libraries are now so much more than books, building community and a sense of inclusion;

WHEREAS restoring funding to libraries supports the BC Government’s agenda to eliminate poverty, improve access to education, and address social justice in BC;

WHEREAS funding rates have been frozen since 2009 and inflationary costs have increasingly been put on municipal property tax payers which is a regressive approach to funding public libraries;

WHEREAS municipalities face downloading from upper levels of government and have few tools to raise funds,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council request the Mayor write to the Minister of Education, the Premier, and all local MLAs strongly advocating for the restoration of library funding to a level that reflects both inflationary cost increases since 2009 and the value of this system to the Province.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be forwarded to other municipalities in the Capital Regional District and across BC requesting their favourable consideration.

We eagerly look forward to your support on this matter.

Sincerely,

Lisa Helps Victoria Mayor