“Curiouser and curiouser!” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
As I sat in St. Albert city council chambers and watched events unfold, this quote from Alice in Wonderland resonated. Who would have guessed council would place the library branch on the ballot after already surveying citizens not once but twice in two years and finding 63 per cent and 43 per cent said a new branch library was their top priority even if an increase in taxes is needed. One would assume these strong, statistically accurate results gave council the confidence they needed to unanimously vote in favour of funding the new branch library and approve borrowing $17,492,150 (funds required for the branch project plus an amount for land). Council subsequently approved a borrowing bylaw in the amount of $21.9M – more than required, akin to a preapproved mortgage.
This is where things get a little Wonderland-esque. While St. Albert has one of the lowest debt ratios in the province and has had modest tax increases during the last five years, the $21.9M borrowing bylaw caused some to see red. A petition was launched against the borrowing bylaw, not the library, and successfully garnered 6,700 signatures.
And so, while St. Albert is home to one of the most heavily utilized and loved public libraries in the province, and has demonstrated through well-supported business cases and survey data that a new branch library is needed, the project is on pause and we wait, yet again, for the results of another survey of sorts – the fall election Oct. 16, 2017.
As a former library board chair, this course of events is perplexing. In the short-term, there are true costs – human and financial – to the delays, data-gathering, analysis, and now a full ‘pause’ on the project. As a citizen, I am more concerned about the long-term costs as the public library is less able to serve St. Albertans. Toddlers will continue to be put on waiting lists for story time, youth will contend with limited space to study, adults will have limited access to career resources, and seniors will be denied space for book clubs or technology classes.
The quality of life we enjoy in St. Albert is by design, and not by accident. The decisions made and executed by past councils, city and community leaders 10 to 20 years ago created the community that is now recognized as one of the best places to live in Canada. As someone who hopes to call St. Albert home in the years to come, I hope we will be able to continue to earn the reputation that has grown over time.
I have complete confidence St. Albertans will vote for the library branch on Oct. 16. In many ways, they already have. Electing a courageous team of councillors and a new mayor will be essential to ensuring our community continues to be “a vibrant, innovative and thriving city ... that sustains and cherishes its unique identity and small town values” (City Strategic Plan). The branch library is a critical component to realizing this aspirational vision. I encourage all St. Albertans to take the time on Oct. 16 to vote and ensure St Albert’s future is guided by leaders with the capacity, passion and political acumen needed to move us forward.
Fact checking welcome: https://www.sapl.ca/about-us/a-new-library.html
Charmaine Brooks, St. Albert
