FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The Fresno City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve a resolution opposing the privatization of Fresno County libraries, the latest development in an ongoing debate over the future of the county library system.

Although only about one-third of county libraries are located within Fresno city limits, Councilmember Mike Karbassi said he authored the resolution to send a message to county leaders.

“We have a responsibility to have open and free libraries. It’s part of the American system,” Karbassi said.

“I don’t want to experiment with our children’s futures, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” he added.

The discussion comes months after a private company contacted members of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors expressing interest in operating the county’s libraries and offering potential cost savings.

“Because of HR one the big ‘BS’ bill there’s going to be a lot of hard decisions to be made at the county and there’s a private company out there that saying we can save $7 million by privatizing libraries. That’s a terrible idea,” Karbassi said.

Late last month, a group of Fresno-area leaders gathered to oppose outsourcing library management, arguing that such a move could reduce library hours, close locations, and result in job losses.

The following day, Fresno County clarified that the issue would not appear on the Board of Supervisors’ Oct. 20 agenda. Instead, county officials said the matter would be presented as a board briefing report available to the public.

“I really don’t know what motivated the issue at the city of Fresno today to pass a resolution, again they’re an independent city. They’re welcome to do whatever they like,” Supervisor Nathan Magsig said.

Magsig said he has not seen a report on the issue and has not communicated with any outside companies.

He acknowledged the board has discussed countywide cost-saving measures but said a key reason no formal action has been taken is that several current supervisors are not seeking reelection.

“It’s important to not make critical decisions as you have potentially the majority of the board, leaving in the next two or three months,” Magsig said.

“For me, what I support is full access to the public when it comes to our library systems, they play a critical role in the development of our children,” he said.

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