The City Manager presented a proposed FY2022 budget to the City Council on Monday and, once again, the College Terrace Library is on the chopping block. The current proposal recommends closing the College Terrace, Downtown, and Children’s libraries to the public in favor of vending machines for contactless distribution.

The College Terrace Library is most than just a library – it’s a gathering place and hub for residents of College Terrace, Evergreen Park, Southgate, Mayfield, Ventura, Barron Park, Stanford, and beyond. And as we emerge from the pandemic, we’ll need community centers like the College Terrace Library more than ever.

Our local Fire Station #2 (on Hanover St.) is also targeted for further service reductions. The station currently experiences “brownouts” during weekday nights and weekends; these would be extended to all day, every day. This means the station would be shut down anytime firefighters at the station are on leave.

This staffing model would result in longer response times and a reduced ability to handle simultaneous calls. Every second counts in an emergency and relying on backfill from a station across town, or worse, elsewhere in the county, puts residents’ lives in jeopardy. And with California’s increasingly dangerous fire seasons, full staffing for EMS and fire suppression alike is critical.

As with last year’s budget discussions, we encourage neighbors to let the City Council know how you feel about these potential budget cuts. Two ways for you to do that:

1. Email the City Council at city.council@cityofpaloalto.org and let them know how important the College Terrace Library and Fire Station #2 are to you and our community.
2. Attend the City‘s Budget Town Hall on Thursday night at 6pm via Zoom. City Staff will share details about the proposed budget and share how residents can engage with the process in the coming weeks. Register here.

The Council will begin budget hearings to discuss potential cuts next Tuesday and Wednesday. You can find the schedule on the City‘s budget website.