The County Said No — May 6, 2026​

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Today, TCLA met with San Luis Obispo County officials to discuss operational funding for Templeton Library. We appreciated the meeting, but the outcome was deeply disappointing. The County made clear it does not accept responsibility for Templeton's situation — despite a 47-year history of collecting library tax revenue from our community.

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The Core Issue

Templeton's donors and volunteers have built a thriving library. What we cannot sustain without public funding are the basics: utilities, staffing, and long-term operational costs. These are not extras — they are the foundation of any public library.

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The County's position is that Atascadero Library adequately serves Templeton residents through digital checkouts. We strongly disagree.

 

Templeton is a community of more than 10,000 residents — including a large student population — with no public transportation, no connector trails, and no walkable route to Atascadero. We have a library building on school district property, approved by the County, directly across from our schools. Our community deserves to use it.

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What the County Is Dismissing

• Templeton's extraordinary population growth

• Five decades of library service taxes paid by TCSD residents

• The fact that Templeton Library now independently delivers the same programs and services offered at County branches

• The question — still unanswered — of why Templeton's County library was never rebuilt after its 1979 closure following Prop 13

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What We Asked For

TCLA requested that the $318,000 collected annually from TCSD taxpayers for library services be redirected to TCSD to operate Templeton Library locally. That figure represents less than 3% of the County's $13.5 million library budget — and it is money our community already pays.

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Instead, those funds continue to support 14 County branches. Not ours.

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The County also previously committed to a 50/50 partnership to build a new library — then could not match funds when our community was ready. We were told to build it ourselves. We did. Now we are told that is not their problem.

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What Comes Next

The California State Library has confirmed that volunteers are not prohibited by State law from assisting in library operations. The County is also aware that TCSD's concerns about costs and staffing currently prevent them from assuming jurisdiction. These are solvable problems — if there is political will to solve them.

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TCLA remains committed to advocating for a solution that honors Templeton residents' long-standing tax contributions and recognizes the library our community built for itself.

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Make Your Voice Heard

Contact your County representatives directly:

• jpeschong@co.slo.ca.us

• dortizlegg@co.slo.ca.us

• hmoreno@co.slo.ca.us

• kballantyne@co.slo.ca.us

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Thank You

To our patrons, donors, volunteers, and supporters: your commitment is what keeps Templeton Library open, active, and thriving. This fight is not over.

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Key Facts

• Templeton residents pay 1.6% of their property taxes for library services — funds that currently support 14 County branches, not Templeton Library.

• The County has collected these funds for 47 years, since the original library closed in 1979.

• TCLA has requested that the $318,000 collected annually from TCSD taxpayers be returned to TCSD to operate Templeton Library locally.

• Templeton Library is centrally located and within walking distance of 4 out of 5 TUSD schools.

• In just three years, Templeton Library has outperformed comparable small County libraries in circulation, active patrons, and collection size.

• Without tax-based funding, Templeton Library is ineligible for many state and federal grants.

• The County's $13.5 million library budget could fund Templeton's request at less than 3% — less than what our community already contributes.

• The County previously committed to a 50/50 partnership to build a new library but could not match funds when the community was ready.