The Sacramento Public Library Authority is governed by a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA) between the County of Sacramento and the Cities of Citrus Heights, Galt, Isleton, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, and Sacramento.  The Library Authority's governing board comprises representatives from each member jurisdiction based on population and includes all five members of the County Board of Supervisors, five council members from the City of Sacramento, two members from the City of Elk Grove, and one member from each city council for the Cities of Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova. The Cities of Galt and Isleton are co-represented by a single councilmember currently from the City of Galt, with the City of Isleton serving as the alternate. The City of Folsom is not a party to the JPA. Over the years the system has grown to include 30 library sites, as shown in the map below. The rapidly-growing east-central part of the County has been developed without libraries to serve the new populations.

The Vineyard community has waited over 10 years for a library, but progress has been slow. In the summer of 2023, with help from Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy’s office, the Library's Bookmobile began visiting the Pat O’Brien Community Center in Vineyard. Supervisor Kennedy also found money to build a Community Library - similar to the Little Free Library concept - at the community center. These services deliver books to residents of Vineyard and Vintage Park, but are merely temporary solutions. What the Vineyard community truly needs is an actual dedicated library that will fulfill the promise of comprehensive library services and enhance the resources available to the local neighborhoods.

The County bought land near the key intersection of Bradshaw and Gerber over ten years ago to build a library for Vineyard, but construction has yet to begin. Building the library will take time, and funding remains a major challenge. The community's Mello Roos tax adds $250 for every new home sold to fund the library. If only the Mello-Roos funds are used, however, between 18,733 and 20,733 homes would need to be built before construction could begin.

A medium-sized library in Vineyard could cost $6 to $6.5 million, covering construction, books, and the first year’s operations. As of June 30, 2024, the Vineyard Library Development Fee fund had $1,316,835 set aside for the library. Unfortunately, Sacramento County hasn’t explained how they decide which libraries to build first, and there’s no clear timeline for Vineyard's library.

There’s also concern about how our Mello Roos taxes are spent. While part of this tax is meant for the library, it’s unclear if the money is being used specifically for Vineyard or spread across Sacramento County. The Vineyard community deserves transparency and action to make the library a reality.