Do NOT rename the library. The former mayor and even some of this existing council made horrible decisions that led us to the fiscal crisis we currently are facing. Where is your pride in our city? The elitism and cronyism is staggering.
Please, please don’t. Leave it as is. It belongs to the people of Orange, and should continue to be named as such. Unfortunately many of our current fiscal woes were under Mr. Murphy’s watch. While I appreciate anyone who would serve our great city, there have been many and no one individual should have this honor, especially when we are in the current predicament we are.
Why are we naming the library after a mayor who may have put us in the position that we are in? The city is broke!! Keep it to the original name for all the people who live in Orange, not to highlight one resident who was once a mayor here.
Stupidest idea to come out of the city in quit awhile. I’d like to know who is paying the city to get this done. In my opinion he wasn’t even a very good mayor also in my opinion he had way to many people in his pocket.
Vehemently against renaming the library.
Non positive. Please get rid of the the NO TRAIN HORN signs people need to hear the horns before they run the gates and get struck or they’re car hit. Let’s try to prevent crashes
Why is this something we're wasting time, energy, and funding on when the city is already in a budget crisis? This council needs to listen to their constituents, and not their party masters. What an absolute waste of time and resources. The career politicians on the council need to be removed if this is what they thing is important to residents.
Mayor Slater & City Councilmembers,
I am adamantly opposed to the renaming of the Main Library (or any City of Orange Library) after deceased former Mayor and his widow Vicky Murphy. While I appreciate anyone willing to dedicate time to serve our City as Mayor or City Council, I think this proposal is in poor taste and tone deaf at this time of a severe City fiscal crisis. To ask that City funds be spent to change signage & to dedicate this Library to the Murphys while simultaneously preparing to ask residents to vote for a tax increase is mind-boggling. And, to do so at a time where City Libraries are underfunded, short-staffed, with reduced hours due to funding, feels plain wrong!
While Mr. Murphy's friends may recall him fondly & wish to find a way to honor him in the name of his "service" to his City, that is quite likely not how many, or even a majority of Orange residents recall Mr. Murphy. In fact, his name has recently become synonymous with having "kicked the can" year after year, being either oblivious to, or not wanting to deal with the looming fiscal crisis that was brewing under his tenure. For that reason and other questionable decisions made during his tenure, I don't believe that honoring him by permanently placing the Murphy's name on any City Library is appropriate or deserved.
As a final point, former Mayor Joanne Coontz (deceased) dedicated almost 30 years of public service to the City of Orange. She is iconic in the City of Orange in that she was the first female City Council Member AND the first female Mayor of Orange! Served approximately 18 years on City Council. She co-founded the Friendly Center, Orange Housing Development Corp, led efforts to establish the Orange Veterans Memorial. She was the first female Chair of the Planning Commission. Promoted the creation of the Taft Branch Library. Founded the Orange Public Library Foundation to fund and build the City of Orange Main Library. In honor of ALL those incredible achievements, the City honored her by naming the Reading Room/History Center in the Main Library after her. With that in mind-to then propose naming/re-branding the entire Main Library after former Mayor Murphy & his wife, with former Mayor Coontz being named after a "room" in "Mayor Murphy's Library" is in incredibly bad taste & has a distinct feel of some sort of one-upmanship, sexism, favoritism.
With all the other issues the City is currently contending with, we certainly do not need one more thing causing distrust of our Council's decision-making, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of our residents by something as questionable and permanent as this proposal. There are some fine individuals currently serving on the Council, trying to re-establish trust & rectify the fiscal mess they inherited. Please don't let the Mark and Vicky Murphy Library be something you are known for approving. As others have already suggested, name a tree or a plaque at City Hall after him. Maybe at some point establish a "Honor Wall" at City Hall for those how have served & since passed (if funding is donated, or the City not in a fiscal crisis). But naming a Library after a guy who was "popular" with his pals & made questionable fiscal decisions is an inappropriate "honor" him, his surviving wife, or any local political figure. Spend that "unknown" amount on Library resources, books & staffing in Murphy's name, for the City deficit he left. Or name a library room after him, like they did Ms. Coontz.
I am strongly opposed to renaming the Orange Public Library as the Mark Murphy Library.
The Orange Public Library is an important part of our city’s heritage and identity.
At a time when the City is facing financial challenges, the residents and businesses of Orange continue to support our community and make sacrifices. I believe the City Council should also focus on preserving the traditions and institutions that define our city, rather than changing the name of one of our public landmarks.
For these reasons, I respectfully urge the City Council to preserve the name of the Orange Public Library.
Absolutely oppose renaming the library and history center, which is already so underfunded and overlooked in the city budget that it can’t even operate on a regular schedule, yet you’re going to choose a highly divisive former political official to honor and somehow find the funds to do this? If you really want to honor the history of Orange give the funds directly TO the history center, already named for Orange, the people it belongs to. Stop wasting time and money with these grandstanding gestures designed to pat cronies on the back and focus on the real issues plaguing this city.
100% NO. The city should not be spending our money on renaming our library and history center when they are asking us to approve a tax increase. It is the community library-not a political figure and a donor. This is political and partisan. This has no reflection on the community support of the Murphy's-it is just not appropriate. Whether you supported Mayor Murphy or not isn't really the issue. The question is whether this is an appropriate use of public funds given the City's current financial challenges. I believe the answer is no.
Reminds me of a recent renaming of a very honored and public center in DC. How did that go?
Public buildings belong to all of us. Their names should reflect the community they serve, not become political statements that divide residents. If the City wishes to establish a policy for honoring former elected officials, that discussion should occur openly, with clear criteria and public input—not through an isolated agenda item.
I am very much opposed to the renaming of our Orange Public Library and History Center. The Library is part of the legacy and history of the City of Orange. If you wish to honor Mayor Mark and Vikki Murphy, name a park or a street in the City of Orange after them. The citizens and businesses in Orange are supporting our City during this financial crisis. I think the City Council needs to do the same.
The City Council is asking residents to accept higher fees, reduced services, difficult financial decisions, and a sales tax increase to help get us out of a financial hole. Yet somehow we are expected to believe there's money available to rename the library after a former mayor. This proposal sends exactly the wrong message. Many residents remember Mark Murphy's years in office very differently than this agenda item suggests. Before we honor someone in this permanent way, we should ask whether their leadership truly represents the values and accomplishments we want future generations to associate with one of our most beloved public institutions. I, for one, do not believe it does.
In reading Mark Murphy's obituary in the Orange County Register, I found the statement, "Despite his many honors, Mark never wanted to make a name for himself – he only wanted to make a difference" to be pretty straightforward. Perhaps the city can honor him by redirecting that "unknown cost" associated with renaming the building into underfunded library services instead.
I’m a 3rd generation Orange resident. I’m adamantly opposed to renaming our beloved library after this individual. If you want to honor him place his name on the new fire station instead. He clearly preferred the fire and police departments over anything else in the city. The library should not publicly memorialize someone
who had little regard for the library or its long history of service to the community.
Dear Mayor Slater and the City Council,
I am a resident of Orange. In fact I was born in Orange as were my parents and grandparents. I am shocked and saddened to see this kind of proposal come before the City Council. The Orange Public Library was built in 1908 and has always been the Orange Public Library. There should never be a name attached to the Library or the History Center at any time now or in the future.
The other consideration is the cost to make any changes to the name. Given the budget situation in the City why would this even be considered as an option. There is not even enough money for the library to be fully funded with staff.
I STRONGLY URGE all City Council members to vote NO on this resolution. I am sure there is another park or location that could be named after the Murphy family if that is important to do. Personally, it is not important there are bigger problems to be worked out.
Hello, I am a resident of Orange and oppose the renaming of the the Orange Public Library and History Center. This facility being to the citizens or Orange and was built with public funds, not donations from one individual. The Library Services Department has already suffered severe cuts due to budget mismanagement, and now asking the City to send even more funds (amount unknown according to the staff report) to rename the library for one person as a vanity project feels like a waste of the City Council's time and the resident's money. Let's consider using the funds that would be used for this project to re-fund library programs and staffing to give actual value back to the community. If there is some desire to honor the former mayor and his family, let that be on someone else's dime and at a less grand scale. Dedication of trees in our local parks has been used to honor past city officials, perhaps this could be a more appropriate alternative. Thank you.
While I appreciate anyone serving the community of Orange, I question the logic of naming a much loved asset of the City after a man whose leadership was instrumental in creating a deficit so great that the funding of staff for the Library has been cut so much that our History Center can not operate as it was designed to.
Do NOT rename the library. The former mayor and even some of this existing council made horrible decisions that led us to the fiscal crisis we currently are facing. Where is your pride in our city? The elitism and cronyism is staggering.
Please leave the name as is.
Please, please don’t. Leave it as is. It belongs to the people of Orange, and should continue to be named as such. Unfortunately many of our current fiscal woes were under Mr. Murphy’s watch. While I appreciate anyone who would serve our great city, there have been many and no one individual should have this honor, especially when we are in the current predicament we are.
Why are we naming the library after a mayor who may have put us in the position that we are in? The city is broke!! Keep it to the original name for all the people who live in Orange, not to highlight one resident who was once a mayor here.
Please leave the library name as is. It should not be associated or renamed to anyone. We are losing our original city touch
Stupidest idea to come out of the city in quit awhile. I’d like to know who is paying the city to get this done. In my opinion he wasn’t even a very good mayor also in my opinion he had way to many people in his pocket.
Vehemently against renaming the library.
Non positive. Please get rid of the the NO TRAIN HORN signs people need to hear the horns before they run the gates and get struck or they’re car hit. Let’s try to prevent crashes
Negative, and remove the parking meters while you’re at it
Why is this something we're wasting time, energy, and funding on when the city is already in a budget crisis? This council needs to listen to their constituents, and not their party masters. What an absolute waste of time and resources. The career politicians on the council need to be removed if this is what they thing is important to residents.
Mayor Slater & City Councilmembers,
I am adamantly opposed to the renaming of the Main Library (or any City of Orange Library) after deceased former Mayor and his widow Vicky Murphy. While I appreciate anyone willing to dedicate time to serve our City as Mayor or City Council, I think this proposal is in poor taste and tone deaf at this time of a severe City fiscal crisis. To ask that City funds be spent to change signage & to dedicate this Library to the Murphys while simultaneously preparing to ask residents to vote for a tax increase is mind-boggling. And, to do so at a time where City Libraries are underfunded, short-staffed, with reduced hours due to funding, feels plain wrong!
While Mr. Murphy's friends may recall him fondly & wish to find a way to honor him in the name of his "service" to his City, that is quite likely not how many, or even a majority of Orange residents recall Mr. Murphy. In fact, his name has recently become synonymous with having "kicked the can" year after year, being either oblivious to, or not wanting to deal with the looming fiscal crisis that was brewing under his tenure. For that reason and other questionable decisions made during his tenure, I don't believe that honoring him by permanently placing the Murphy's name on any City Library is appropriate or deserved.
As a final point, former Mayor Joanne Coontz (deceased) dedicated almost 30 years of public service to the City of Orange. She is iconic in the City of Orange in that she was the first female City Council Member AND the first female Mayor of Orange! Served approximately 18 years on City Council. She co-founded the Friendly Center, Orange Housing Development Corp, led efforts to establish the Orange Veterans Memorial. She was the first female Chair of the Planning Commission. Promoted the creation of the Taft Branch Library. Founded the Orange Public Library Foundation to fund and build the City of Orange Main Library. In honor of ALL those incredible achievements, the City honored her by naming the Reading Room/History Center in the Main Library after her. With that in mind-to then propose naming/re-branding the entire Main Library after former Mayor Murphy & his wife, with former Mayor Coontz being named after a "room" in "Mayor Murphy's Library" is in incredibly bad taste & has a distinct feel of some sort of one-upmanship, sexism, favoritism.
With all the other issues the City is currently contending with, we certainly do not need one more thing causing distrust of our Council's decision-making, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of our residents by something as questionable and permanent as this proposal. There are some fine individuals currently serving on the Council, trying to re-establish trust & rectify the fiscal mess they inherited. Please don't let the Mark and Vicky Murphy Library be something you are known for approving. As others have already suggested, name a tree or a plaque at City Hall after him. Maybe at some point establish a "Honor Wall" at City Hall for those how have served & since passed (if funding is donated, or the City not in a fiscal crisis). But naming a Library after a guy who was "popular" with his pals & made questionable fiscal decisions is an inappropriate "honor" him, his surviving wife, or any local political figure. Spend that "unknown" amount on Library resources, books & staffing in Murphy's name, for the City deficit he left. Or name a library room after him, like they did Ms. Coontz.
I am strongly opposed to renaming the Orange Public Library as the Mark Murphy Library.
The Orange Public Library is an important part of our city’s heritage and identity.
At a time when the City is facing financial challenges, the residents and businesses of Orange continue to support our community and make sacrifices. I believe the City Council should also focus on preserving the traditions and institutions that define our city, rather than changing the name of one of our public landmarks.
For these reasons, I respectfully urge the City Council to preserve the name of the Orange Public Library.
Absolutely oppose renaming the library and history center, which is already so underfunded and overlooked in the city budget that it can’t even operate on a regular schedule, yet you’re going to choose a highly divisive former political official to honor and somehow find the funds to do this? If you really want to honor the history of Orange give the funds directly TO the history center, already named for Orange, the people it belongs to. Stop wasting time and money with these grandstanding gestures designed to pat cronies on the back and focus on the real issues plaguing this city.
100% NO. The city should not be spending our money on renaming our library and history center when they are asking us to approve a tax increase. It is the community library-not a political figure and a donor. This is political and partisan. This has no reflection on the community support of the Murphy's-it is just not appropriate. Whether you supported Mayor Murphy or not isn't really the issue. The question is whether this is an appropriate use of public funds given the City's current financial challenges. I believe the answer is no.
Reminds me of a recent renaming of a very honored and public center in DC. How did that go?
Public buildings belong to all of us. Their names should reflect the community they serve, not become political statements that divide residents. If the City wishes to establish a policy for honoring former elected officials, that discussion should occur openly, with clear criteria and public input—not through an isolated agenda item.
I am very much opposed to the renaming of our Orange Public Library and History Center. The Library is part of the legacy and history of the City of Orange. If you wish to honor Mayor Mark and Vikki Murphy, name a park or a street in the City of Orange after them. The citizens and businesses in Orange are supporting our City during this financial crisis. I think the City Council needs to do the same.
The City Council is asking residents to accept higher fees, reduced services, difficult financial decisions, and a sales tax increase to help get us out of a financial hole. Yet somehow we are expected to believe there's money available to rename the library after a former mayor. This proposal sends exactly the wrong message. Many residents remember Mark Murphy's years in office very differently than this agenda item suggests. Before we honor someone in this permanent way, we should ask whether their leadership truly represents the values and accomplishments we want future generations to associate with one of our most beloved public institutions. I, for one, do not believe it does.
In reading Mark Murphy's obituary in the Orange County Register, I found the statement, "Despite his many honors, Mark never wanted to make a name for himself – he only wanted to make a difference" to be pretty straightforward. Perhaps the city can honor him by redirecting that "unknown cost" associated with renaming the building into underfunded library services instead.
I’m a 3rd generation Orange resident. I’m adamantly opposed to renaming our beloved library after this individual. If you want to honor him place his name on the new fire station instead. He clearly preferred the fire and police departments over anything else in the city. The library should not publicly memorialize someone
who had little regard for the library or its long history of service to the community.
Dear Mayor Slater and the City Council,
I am a resident of Orange. In fact I was born in Orange as were my parents and grandparents. I am shocked and saddened to see this kind of proposal come before the City Council. The Orange Public Library was built in 1908 and has always been the Orange Public Library. There should never be a name attached to the Library or the History Center at any time now or in the future.
The other consideration is the cost to make any changes to the name. Given the budget situation in the City why would this even be considered as an option. There is not even enough money for the library to be fully funded with staff.
I STRONGLY URGE all City Council members to vote NO on this resolution. I am sure there is another park or location that could be named after the Murphy family if that is important to do. Personally, it is not important there are bigger problems to be worked out.
Thank you for your time.
Hello, I am a resident of Orange and oppose the renaming of the the Orange Public Library and History Center. This facility being to the citizens or Orange and was built with public funds, not donations from one individual. The Library Services Department has already suffered severe cuts due to budget mismanagement, and now asking the City to send even more funds (amount unknown according to the staff report) to rename the library for one person as a vanity project feels like a waste of the City Council's time and the resident's money. Let's consider using the funds that would be used for this project to re-fund library programs and staffing to give actual value back to the community. If there is some desire to honor the former mayor and his family, let that be on someone else's dime and at a less grand scale. Dedication of trees in our local parks has been used to honor past city officials, perhaps this could be a more appropriate alternative. Thank you.
While I appreciate anyone serving the community of Orange, I question the logic of naming a much loved asset of the City after a man whose leadership was instrumental in creating a deficit so great that the funding of staff for the Library has been cut so much that our History Center can not operate as it was designed to.