Grants Pass, January 7, 2025 — In a dramatic decision, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to terminate the lease on the Grants Pass branch of the Josephine Community Library, effective February 6, 2025. The vote has sent shockwaves through the local community, where the library has long been a vital resource for residents.
The termination stems from a claim by Commissioner John West that the library’s transition from a “county” library to a “community” library in 2017 invalidates the county’s charter mandate for the “support and maintenance” of libraries in Josephine County. This shift, West argues, makes the county no longer responsible for funding and managing library facilities. As a result, West urged his colleagues to terminate the lease, which was originally signed in 2008 and was set to run until December 31, 2025.
The board’s decision has drawn significant criticism, particularly in light of the history behind the county’s library funding. In the late 1990s, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners voted to redirect a 33-cent library levy to the general fund to cover public safety costs, citing Measure 50. This decision effectively increased the county’s property tax by 57 percent, with the library’s funding being absorbed into the permanent tax rate. As it stands, none of the redirected funds go toward supporting the library, except for the maintenance of the Grants Pass branch…