How the library expansion was saved at the last minute

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After a month of tense debates and the possibility of layoffs, San Benito County Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez took an unexpected turn. For hours, the Board of Supervisors had been discussing and was about to approve its 2025-26 budget, including the scrapping of the long-awaited expansion of the only county library. 

The vote stood at 2-2. 

Then, in a rare break from the majority he often sides with, which was leaning towards de-funding the project, Velazquez said no.

“I’ll vote no because I want to make sure we’re doing it together,” Velazquez said. “I’m telling you all, if we don’t, we are going to fail, and I’m not going to be in a situation where we have a divided board about our budget.”

At the heart of the budget divide was the future of the library, a central place in the county where residents can borrow any of the 156,000 books, magazines or DVDs available; where they can cool off during hot summer days or learn about snakes through hands-on workshops. 

Library backers have pleaded with the board to save the expansion project.

“The library was built in 1960 when the population of Hollister was a fraction of its present population,” Susan Logue from the nonprofit Friends of the San Benito County Free Library told the county board. “People deserve a bigger, modern version to meet the needs of us. The board and administration need to think outside the box and realize this state library grant is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which if missed, will be a grave and wrong doing to our community.”

In 2022, the county secured a $10 million state grant to expand it. To claim the money, San Benito needed to contribute $5 million of its own. 

Half of the county’s contribution was set to come from the $12.2 million the county had received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the emergency federal aid meant to ease the economic fallout of the pandemic. But like many counties across the country, San Benito used much of its pandemic relief money to cover basic operations. Now, with that pot nearly empty, officials from many counties have been scrambling to close their budget gaps.

In previous meetings, Velazquez had aligned with Supervisors Dom Zanger and Kollin Kosmicki in refusing to use general fund money—the funds to cover day-to-day operations and services—to backfill ARPA-funded programs. That included the county’s Public Information Officer position and the library, which could have cost the county its $10 million state grant.

Kosmicki pressed Velazquez: “So what’s your recommended budget then?” 

“I’d like to hear from one of the others,” he replied.

Supervisors Mindy Sotelo and Angela Curro did not support the budget as proposed. They had been pushing to reduce the $7 million for road repairs and redirect part of it to save the library and keep the public information officer position.

“I really think we need to show a commitment to this community,” Sotelo said. “There needs to be a cut in the roads budget in order to fund some of these other things. For us to lose a $10 million grant and send it back to the state, it’s not going to just be a hit this one time. We will be laughed at when we apply for future grants.”

Zanger was not willing to concede. “The residents that I’m up here representing would not be in favor of that,” he said. “I would bet the entire county budget on that, that they would not want me to cut the road budget and divert to things like the library upgrade.”

Kosmicki agreed. “You have previously voted in favor of this, you’ve said you support the roads,” he told Velazquez. “So in concept, you’re supporting the motion that’s being suggested; and there is no compromise because we haven’t been provided a compromise by either of the people that are against it.”

“If you can commit to taking out $2.5 million for roads and putting it to the library, then I could get on board with supporting the budget,” Sotelo replied. “Without that, I’m not going to budge on that either. I mean, it’s the same way that you’re taking a position. Well, I feel in advocating for my constituents. Yes, roads are important, but so is our library.”

Kosmicki turned to Velazquez one more time. “So you’re deciding between roads and the library, Supervisor Velazquez.”

Velazquez held his ground. Though he said he was “100% committed to fixing” the roads, he said he refused to approve a divided budget and that he wanted unity, and was pressing Curro and Sotelo to change their minds.

“I’m not going to be bullied to change my position on something,” Sotelo told him. “Maybe ask Supervisor Kosmicki or Supervisor Zanger. I think it’s not fair that you’re looking at both Supervisor Curro and I as the ones to change. I’m going to vote ‘no’ unless we’re willing to fund the library.”

The board sat at an impasse while the budget had to be approved so that the county could continue operating in July. Then, without warning, Public Works Administrator Steve Loupe burst into the room. The board had called for him earlier, but he’d been absent.

“You’re late to the party,” Curro joked.

Loupe ran to the lectern with a proposal. The county had planned to use $2.9 million from Measure G—a local tax passed in 2018—to repair Wright Road. But the committee overseeing road priorities, chaired by Kosmicki and Velazquez, had already deemed that project nonessential. So Loupe suggested shifting the $2.9 million for Wright Road to the $7 million of general fund for roads, freeing the money needed to fund the library expansion.

“Mr. Chair, I could support that,” said Curro.

The five supervisors were on board with the plan, and approved the budget; though it isn’t final. It’s a $95 million temporary spending plan up to September, approved while staff explores ways to trim costs further and possibly find ways to reduce the costs of the library project. 

Not everything survived the vote. The board still eliminated the public information officer position in a 3-2 vote. Rosemerry Dere, who had held the job since last year, will stay on until July 11.

With a swing of the gavel, Kosmicki adjourned the budget hearings. From the back of the chamber, members of the Friends of the San Benito County Free Library clapped. For now, the library has been saved.

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