The Oro Valley Public Library makes the leap from affiliate in the Pima County Free Library District to an official branch on July 1.
The Oro Valley Town Council unanimously approved a new intergovernmental agreement, or IGA, in a meeting last week.
As an affiliate under the current agreement, which expires at the end of June, the town has control over the library's employees, programming and book collection, but splits the $1.2 million annual operating expense with the county.
Each puts in 50 percent.
Under the new agreement, the county will take on all operating expenses, saving Oro Valley an estimated $600,000 a year.
The Oro Valley library will be the 27th branch in the Pima County library system.
It is currently the only affiliate library.
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"We do have a track record (with Pima County)," Councilwoman Mary Snider said at the council's March 7 regular meeting.
"We have been in a long-term partnership with them and it has been pretty successful. A lot is being accomplished these days through partnerships," Snider said.
Library Services Manager Jane Peterson, interim Town Manager Greg Caton and Town Attorney Tobin Rosen spent more than an hour at the meeting addressing questions and concerns from the council and residents before the vote.
In a PowerPoint presentation, Peterson outlined some of the deal's benefits to the town:
• The library will expand under the new agreement from 50 to 59 hours a week, allowing the facility to be open on Sundays.
• It will receive new computers with up-to-date software, including Microsoft Office 2010 and Windows 7.
• The Friends of the Oro Valley Public Library will be able to keep their 1,000 square feet of Book Shoppe space, and the library's special collections, as well as any future books bought by the Friends, will remain at the branch.
That includes its Heritage Collection, a series of books documenting Arizona's history, recently bought with part of an $8,300 grant from the National Institute of Museum and Library Services.
"We are happy to lend it out to the other 26 libraries, but we would like, for research purposes, for it to find a home in Oro Valley," Peterson said.
Library employees, who met with Mayor Satish Hiremath and Caton several times to discuss the agreement, will transition to county-employee status on Jan. 1, with their vacation time, sick time and seniority intact.
No Oro Valley employees will be moved to other branches, Peterson said.
The town will pay the county an estimated $50,000 for the accrued-vacation time of transferring employees.
Several Oro Valley residents showed up to demonstrate their support and to discuss their concerns about the new IGA.
Bill Adler wasn't sold on the idea.
Adler asked that the town consider conducting a phone survey to get feedback from all residents.
He suggested that people in Oro Valley might be willing to help pay for any outstanding costs if the town opted not to go with the new IGA.
"I think it is a mistake to assume that Oro Valley residents are not willing to pay more for something important to them," he said.
John Musolf supported the agreement overall, but thought the council might be rushing into something it hasn't fully explored.
"A lot of people have not had an opportunity to digest it," he said of the agreement. "I've gone over it six times and each time, I've found something different."
Hiremath told the audience that the county can be relied upon. He reminded residents that Oro Valley residents are also county residents.
"I know there is distrust out there," he said. "At some point in time, it comes down to just that. Either you have trust or you don't."
Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at ggay@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
