Decision about leftover $1.5 million libary bond funds delayed

Yuma County supervisors want two more weeks to decide what to do with a $1.5 million surplus from a 2005 bond issue to build new libraries around the county.
 
The money exists because the library projects funded by the bond came under budget and options the board of supervisors discussed Monday include trying to pay down the $53.7 million issue or use it to pay for library improvement projects.
 
Supervisors voted to wait and hold off discussion and possible action until its next meeting June 15 because members said they wanted additional information on how the money can be spent. But one thing is for certain: the money has to be spent by early July 2010.
 
One way to spend the money would be to use $455,000 to reimburse the library general fund, which contributed money to projects at the Heritage Library and Foothills Branch.
 
County Administrator Robert Pickels said that would bring the total left over to about $1 million.
 
Board members varied on how to spend the remaining funds.
 
There is a prioritized list of proposed projects that the Board could approve for various libraries.
 
The list includes projects such as $45,000 for a walkway and veranda sidewalks for the Heritage Library. The list also includes $50,000 for interior improvements to the older section of the Somerton Library such as carpet, paint and ceiling tile. There is also a proposed $40,000 project for landscaping and a sign for the Foothills Branch.
 
Also on the list are two parking lot expansions, one at the Foothills Branch for $25,000 and another for the Wellton Branch at $50,000 (plus the cost of land).
 
Some Board members thought it would be better to pay down debt before spending the money on the projects.
 
Supervisor Casey Prochaska said funding the projects would give the public a "great experience" and "make sure everything is top-notch everywhere."
 
There was some doubt about whether or not the Board could spend the money to pay down the debt, but if they were able to, it could not be applied to the debt until 2017 - and there may be some penalties involved making that option less desirable.
 
"We may end up spending more by calling the bonds early," County Administrator Robert Pickels said.
 
Board Chairman Greg Ferguson suggested the money be used to make a payment for this year.
 
"To me, it would seem, that if we have money left over we could put that toward the annual payment," Ferguson said.
 
The board also voted to hold off discussion and possible action on the redistricting of the County's Justice Court precincts. The Courts are located in Yuma, Somerton and Wellton. Currently, the Yuma Court has exceeded the threshold of the amount of cases it can handle, according to a letter from the Arizona State Supreme Court, County Administrator Robert Pickels said.
 
The Board voted to wait until the June 15 meeting to discuss it further because there was discussion as to what the boundary lines should be, in particular the new Area Service Highway, which will connect the new port at San Luis to Interstate 8. County officials said they expect an influx of cases from the new highway and will discuss the boundaries of the district that will encompass the road.