NUMBER OF REFERENDA

While the data in the Cain study for the State of California goes back to an earlier date (1978 versus of 1987 for the national data), the universe of data for library campaigns is much larger at the national level than at the State of California level (546 campaigns versus 86 campaigns):

 

NATIONAL (LIBRARY JOURNAL)

Timeframe # of Campaigns
1987 to 1995 Buildings: 422 Campaigns
1994 & 1995 Operating: 124 Campaigns
TOTAL: 546 Campaigns

Averages 47 campaigns per year for buildings.
Averages 62 campaigns per year for operations.
Averages 109 campaigns per year for both combined.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA (CAIN STUDY):

There has been a recent surge of interest in library referenda in California with 2/3's of the campaigns being held in the last 5 years:

 

Timeframe # of Campaigns
Total (1994 to 1978 - 17 years): 86 Campaigns
1989 to 1978 (first 12 years): 28 Campaigns (33%)
1994 to 1990 (last 5 years): 58 Campaigns (67%)


CAIN STUDY OF CALIIFORNIA LIBRARY REFERENDA (1978-1994)

Mo

Dy

Yr

County City

Yes vote

% Yes

No vote

% No

% to
Pass

Pass
/Fail

Measure Title

6

3

80

Alameda Berkeley

30,352

69.3%

13,463

30.7%

2/3

P

Library Relief Act of 1980

11

6

84

Alameda Fremont

21,074

41.7%

29,523

58.3%

2/3

F

Main Library Construction

11

8

88

Alameda Berkeley

33,211

67.4%

16,099

32.6%

2/3

P

Library Relief Act of 1988

11

6

90

Alameda Oakland

4,776

81.6%

1,077

18.4%

2/3

P

Rockridge Library Tax

11

3

92

Alameda Berkeley

45,010

87.0%

6,712

13.0%

2/3

P

Amend. to Library Relief 1980

11

3

92

Alameda Oakland

79,755

66.0%

41,132

34.0%

2/3

F

Library Services Retention 1992

11

8

94

Alameda

68,101

55.2%

55,381

44.8%

2/3

F

Tax to Finance Library Services

6

7

94

Alameda Albany

3,221

76.6%

986

23.4%

2/3

P

Library Services Act of 1994

6

7

94

Alameda Oakland

43,328

73.2%

15,891

26.8%

2/3

P

Library Services Retention 1994

11

6

90

Butte

18,697

42.9%

24,845

57.1%

2/3

F

Special Library Tax

11

5

91

Butte

5,647

50.2%

5,593

49.8%

51%

F

Chico Library

6

7

88

Calaveras

2,080

22.1%

7,330

77.9%

51%

F

Transaction and Use Tax

11

6

90

Calaveras

8,227

62.8%

4,876

37.2%

2/3

F

Tax for Construction of Lib.

11

3

92

Contra Costa

222,441

64.5%

122,230

35.5%

2/3

F

Property Tax

11

3

92

Contra Costa Crockett

891

55.3%

721

44.7%

2/3

F

Property Tax

11

3

92

Contra Costa Kensington

1,986

61.7%

1,232

38.3%

2/3

F

Property Tax

11

8

94

Contra Costa Library Service Area

159,347

61.0%

101,700

39.0%

2/3

F

Property Tax

6

7

94

El Dorado Placerville

3,527

53.2%

3,103

46.8%

51%

P

Cameron Pk. Lib.

6

3

86

Fresno

46,302

57.1%

34,787

42.9%

2/3

F

Library Services Tax

3

2

93

Fresno

45,535

57.6%

33,522

42.4%

51%

P

Metropolitan Proj. Auth.

6

8

82

Inyo

1,457

29.2%

3,528

70.8%

2/3

F

Lib. Financing Ord.

11

4

86

Lake

13,351

87.3%

1,947

12.7%

51%

P

Advisory Measure

11

3

92

Lassen

5,701

56.5%

4,389

43.5%

2/3

F

Appropriations Limit

11

3

92

Lassen

5,941

57.9%

4,320

42.1%

2/3

F

Library tax to prevent

11

8

94

Lassen

1,884

71.7%

745

28.3%

51%

P

Library District Formation

11

4

86

Los Angeles El Segundo

3,028

56.5%

2,329

43.5%

2/3

F

General Obligation Bond

11

8

88

Los Angeles Santa Monica

27,226

69.8%

11,782

30.2%

2/3

P

General obligation bond in the

6

4

91

Los Angeles Palos Verdes

4,607

70.1%

1,963

29.9%

2/3

P

Bond, health measures

6

22

93

Los Angeles Pasadena

14,370

79.8%

3,642

20.2%

2/3

P

Library Special Tax

6

7

94

Los Angeles S. Pasadena

3,921

68.6%

1,794

31.4%

2/3

P

5 yr. tax to maintain current lib.

6

7

94

Los Angeles Altadena

8,171

85.5%

1,381

14.5%

2/3

P

5 yr tax to replace funding due

6

5

84

Marin

21,830

59.4%

14,927

40.6%

2/3

F

Library Tax

6

5

84

Marin Corte Madera

1,570

54.9%

1,291

45.1%

2/3

F

Library Tax

11

3

92

Marin

34,024

52.2%

31,194

47.8%

2/3

F

Library Tax

11

3

92

Marin Corte Madera

2,459

52.3%

2,242

47.7%

2/3

F

Special Tax

11

2

93

Marin Zone 1

5,328

71.4%

2,138

28.6%

2/3

P

Library Special Tax

4

12

94

Marin Zone 2

13,819

67.5%

6,663

32.5%

2/3

P

Library Special Tax

4

12

94

Marin Corte Madera

1,496

74.7%

508

25.3%

2/3

P

Special tax - Library Services

6

6

95

Marin San Anselmo

2,239

67.9%

1,060

32.1%

2/3

P

Library Tax

6

7

88

Mendocino

12,343

53.6%

10,705

46.4%

2/3

F

Library Tax

6

2

92

Mendocino

15,087

57.8%

11,021

42.2%

2/3

F

Library Tax

11

8

88

Modoc

2,726

67.9%

1,287

32.1%

2/3

P

Mello Roos




LIBRARY JOURNAL SUMMARY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY REFERENDA (1987 - 1995)



Community

Library		 For Against Amount of Referendum Geni
/Spec		 Ballot Items


1995		            


Buildings		            
San Jose San Jose Public Library

65

35

11,500,000

G

N



Operating		            
Fremont Alameda County Library

55

45

4,150,000

C

Y

Modesto Stanislaus County Library

68

32

4,100,000

G

Y

Pleasant Hill Contra Costa County Library

61

39

4,342,080

G

N

San Francisco San Francisco Public Library

70

30

14,000,000

G

N

San Jose San Jose Public Library

65

35

3,988,000

G

N

Santa Clara Santa Clara County Library

69

31

5,000,000

G

Y

Santa Cruz Santa Cruz City-County Public Library

48

52

4,300,000

G

Y

Susanville Susanville Library District

72

28

90,000

G

Y



1994		            


Buildings		            
Mountain View Mountain View Public Library

64

36

15,500,000

G

N



Operating		            
Albany Albany Library

77

23

275,000

G

Y

Altadena Altadena Library

85

15

430,000

G

Y

Cameron Park El Dorado County Library

54

46

190,000

G

Y

Corte Madera Marin County Free Library

75

25

131,148

S

Y

Fairfax/West Marin Marin County Free Library

68

32

364,284

G

Y

Oakland Oakland Public Library

74

26

3,756,333

G

Y

Palm Springs Palm Springs Public Library

55

45

300,000

G

Y

San Rafael (Zone 2) Marin County Free Library

68

32

1,432,944

S

Y

Santa Paula Santa Paula Union H.S.Public Library

70

30

210,000

G

Y

South Pasadena South Pasadena Public Library

69

31

220,000

G

Y



1993		            


Buildings		            
Hemet Hemet Public Library

55

45

3,800,000

G

Y

Mission Viejo Orange County Public Library

57

43

5,000,000

G

N

Pacific Grove Pacific Grove Public Library

49

51

3,000,000

G

N



1991		            


Buildings		            
Los Altos Santa Clara County Library

74

26

3,715,000

G

Y

Oakland Oakland Public Library

81

19

1,500,000

G

Y

Rolling Hills Estates Palos Verdes Library

70

30

16,000,000

G

N



1990		            


Buildings		            
Davis Davis Branch Library

78

22

4,100,000

G

Y

Menlo Park Menlo Park Library

83

17

5,000,000

G

N

Salinas Monterey County Free Library

51

49

7,558,000

G

Y



1989		            


Buildings		            
Livermore Livermore Public Library

61

39

760,000

G

Y

Los Angeles Los Angeles Public Library

62

38

90,000,000

G

Y

Los Angeles Los Angeles Public Library

68

32

53,400,000

G

Y

San Francisco San Francisco Public Library

76

24

109,500,000

G

Y

Vacaville Vacaville P.L./Solano County Lib.

52

48

2,900,000

G

Y



1988 & 1987		 No Referenda Reported          

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