A library survey approved at the Feb. 23 City Council meeting will ask those living in unincorporated areas outside of Thousand Oaks whether or not they plan to use the Thousand Oaks Library system.

The independent survey is part of the city’s strategy to provide library services to residents and nonresidents as it works to overcome budget troubles.

The library received $400,000 from the city’s reserves, which are generally used for one-time capital expenses only, after its budget ran short $730,000 this year.

Thousand Oaks City Manager Scott Mitnick suggested Thousand Oaks may have to close the Newbury Park Branch of the Thousand Oaks Library, close the main library one day a week or otherwise shorten library hours due to lack of funds.

But money will first be spent on a survey.

“I don’t see the wisdom or point,” said Councilmember Claudia Bill-de la Peña.

She said she voted against the mid-term budget update for the city because it included the survey.

Estimated by city spokesperson Andrew Powers to cost $10,000 to $15,000, the survey comes after the Ventura County Library system told the city it would no longer pass through $200,000 in property taxes to the Thousand Oaks library system.

For 20 years the county had honored a contract with the city to give Thousand Oaks the portion of unincorporated residents’ property taxes earmarked for library services.

But the county, facing its own severe cutbacks, is now going to keep that money.

Although an annual library fee for nonresidents was lifted last year, it’s once again being discussed, said Thousand Oaks library director Steve Brogden. The former $70 fee could even go higher, he said.

The survey will be used to ask 400 nonresidents near Thousand Oaks, including those who live in Lynn Ranch, Ventu Park, Casa Conejo, Rolling Oaks and Lake Sherwood, about their library usage, Powers said. About 9,500 people live in the areas that will be surveyed.

“The survey will give (the City) Council concrete information about how these nonresidents utilize libraries,” Powers said.

“It’s important to know where the nonresidents who have benefited from the library contract want their property taxes to go,” Brogden said.