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Aberdeen Library Bonds May Face Referendum; Should Boosters Say, “Bring It On”?

The Aberdeen City Council approved issuing $7.7 million in bonds Monday to fund construction of a new public library. Shortly thereafter, my neighbor Duane Riedel launched his petition drive to refer those bonds to a vote.

At yesterday’s Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee luncheon, city councilman Clint Rux said that if Riedel can submit 867 signatures by end-of-business October 21, the city can either hold a special election for the referendum or wait until the next regular municipal election in June 2016 (see SDCL 9-20-11). If we opt for a special election, statute requires the city order that special election within ten days of receiving the referendum petition but no earlier than thirty days after that order. If they moved quickly, the council could hold that special election right before Thanksgiving.

Councilman Rux said a special election would cost about $15,000 (and if we have one, we’d better have more than 3.5% of voters show up, dang it!). But waiting for the June election could cost much more. Rux said that waiting until June for voter approval would mean bidding the project during summer construction season, when it will be hard to get competitive bids. A special election in November would thus add less to the overall cost of building a better library.

I’m not carrying Riedel’s petition, but I’m wondering if I should sign it and help bring the library bonds to a vote. In the past eight months, Aberdeen has struck me as a reasonably progressive town that gets things done. The Aberdeen Public Library Foundation has already bought a full-page ad in the paper congratulating the council on its vote and discouraging a referendum as needless delay; I suspect the foundation has the resources to mobilize its progressive neighbors to a Yes vote. A public vote would serve to quash the library grousing once and for all: the people would speak, they’d likely say yes, fund it and build it, and that would be that.

Am I reading the electorate wrong, Aberdeen neighbors? Are Team Riedel and anti-library sentiment bigger than I think? And even if they are, should we not take our chances with a public vote on this historic project?

6 Comments

  1. mhs 2015-10-02 10:23

    In my 25 years of running bond issues, I’ve concluded that the voters are nearly always right. A worthy project with a sensible budget almost always passes. Once too many bells and whistles get added, they nearly always lose.

  2. Deb Geelsdottir 2015-10-02 16:54

    When was the current library built? Is it the one that was there in 1976? Sometimes buildings can only handle a certain level of upgrading, expanding, etc., before they just have to be replaced.

    Rapid City completed a massive rebuilding/expanding project in 1992(?) when my friend worked there and it was the best thing they ever did. Library use grew a great deal and garnered many new patrons. That led to satellite units in other parts of the city.

    The change was expensive and paid off hugely. It was worth every nickel.

  3. caheidelberger Post author | 2015-10-04 08:13

    If I recall the plaque in the entry correctly, the current library was built in 1962, So yes, Deb, it is the same building, on 6th and Kline, that you would recall from 1976.

  4. scott 2015-10-05 10:48

    The fact that so few commented indicates that people do not care about libraries. Most people now use modern technology for the services that libraries provided in the past. Once can purchase a tablet for $50 and there is a federal broadband lifeline assistance program that allows low income people to get internet service for $9.95/month.

    The time has come to start looking at libraries and see if services can start to be reduced or cut, saving taxpayer dollars. Building a new library with today’s technology is just poor use of tax dollars.

  5. caheidelberger Post author | 2015-10-06 23:27

    Or, Scott, on this issue, the relative paucity of comments indicates that (1) my readership remains more statewide and a purely local referendum issue does not draw as much interest, (2) more spectacular scandals like the Westerhuis/MCEC/Melmer/Graves affair are providing far more dramatic issues to investigate and discuss, and/or (3) the highly intelligent readers of this blog take the importance of libraries and shared public learning/study/gathering as such a given that they don’t see the need to discuss it deeply.

    But let’s see what happens: put it to a vote, and will anyone show up to cast a ballot?

  6. leslie 2015-10-06 23:38

    libraries once allowed legal research to an initial extent, state codes, city codes were up-to-date, federal regs and code could be found at the university library and full up-to-date national case law might be found in the courthouse library. free. these days the kids have gotten used to expensive smart phone bills that don’t likely get you up-to-date. when the library is gone…well…you won’t know what you don’t know….

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