REVAMPED LIBRARY SYSTEM GAINS.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

The Ventura County library system is no longer bleeding and is on the mend, say members of a city-county committee that has a plan to restore hours and give cities a role in operating the 15-branch system.

The plan approved Thursday night comes seven months after a consultant recommended splitting the county Library Services Agency into independent districts, cutting central administration and giving local governments more responsibility.

While the county retains a central role under the plan, the seven cities with county libraries gain a voice in decisions on spending and services.

Libraries in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ventura and Moorpark would gain hours, while libraries in smaller cities and the county would not suffer further cuts. A major share of spending, about 70 percent, would go to direct services compared with the current level of 52 percent.

``The name of the game is local control, and that's what this is all about,'' said Supervisor Frank Schillo, who helped spark the reform movement in 1995 in the midst of continued cuts in funding and services.

``Breakup really was never in anybody's mind,'' Schillo noted. ``I have always said we need to change the structure and have local control. Up until now, the city's had no say-so in the library operation.''

Simi Valley and Ventura city officials led the push to virtually dismantle the current system, calling for turning over property taxes and per capita shares of other funding sources to the seven cities. There was grumbling about possibly pulling out of the system.

Yet officials supported the plan that now goes to the cities and the county Board of Supervisors for approval.

``It's basically what we wanted to do without breaking up the system and putting it back together again,'' said Greg Stratton, the Simi Valley mayor and a committee member. ``Now each city will get an opportunity to make some decisions. Do we want to put more money in to get more hours; do we want to buy more books?''

George Berg, president of the group Save Our Libraries, said the plan marks ``great progress.'' Yet he contended it should only be a start toward returning the libraries to service levels of five years ago, before the state began taking property tax revenue that supported the system.

``What we've got right now is sort of mediocre libraries with unstable funding, which isn't adequate. There's more that needs to be done,'' he said.

The plan calls for eight service areas - the unincorporated county and the seven cities with additional areas beyond their boundaries - supported by revenue generated within the service areas.

A Library Services Authority would be established to govern the branches. It would be composed of an elected official from each city and the county, with authority to recommend the annual budget to the county supervisors.

The county supervisors would employ a Library Services director. But the supervisors would need a minimum vote of 4-1 to change the budget recommended by the Library Services Authority.

Schillo said the supervisors are scheduled to review the plan at their June 17 meeting. The city of Moorpark approved the plan Wednesday, and the six remaining cities are expected to review it within the next several weeks.

The budget recommended for the 1997-98 budget year that begins July 1 - $5.36 million - is comparable to current funding.

``It's the same pot of money. Whether it's the same personnel, that's an issue the county has to address,'' Stratton said.

Some cuts in staff are expected, though the major change will be the reorganization needed to shift more of the 67 current employees from central administration to the branches, Schillo said.

``You take the people that are in support and you put them on the front lines,'' he said.