Two Huntington Beach ballot initiatives created in response to some of the most controversial actions taken by the City Council in the last two years over the city’s libraries were put up for study, delaying for another few weeks the final answer for when they might go on people’s ballots.

The first initiative would repeal a city law that allows Huntington Beach to create a children’s library book review board – it was approved last year but has not yet been formed. The second initiative would make it harder for the city’s public library operations to be privatized; a community group sought to put the initiative on the ballot after the City Council began soliciting bids from contractors to operate the libraries last year though ultimately did not move forward with the idea.

The City Council on Tuesday formally recognized that the initiatives gathered enough signatures to force a public vote, but instead of scheduling one, councilmembers ordered city staff to prepare a report on each of them that must be presented within 30 days.

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The vote was 6-0, with Councilmember Tony Strickland absent. Councilmembers spoke ill of the ballot initiatives during the meeting.

The council will be presented with the reports at its Feb. 18 meeting. Then, the council would be expected to determine if ballot initiatives should go on voter’s ballots in either a special election in a few months or the city’s next general election in November 2026. It could adopt the ballot initiatives outright, without making any changes.

The city on Friday sent out a survey requesting people’s experiences signing the petitions, asking if anyone who signed them was told they were related to the library being shut down or sold or to prevent children’s library books from being banned.

The second initiative was created after a private company approached the city to run its libraries at a cost savings and the city began taking bids. That company, Library Systems & Services, withdrew its bid ultimately ending the talks last year.

The initiative to repeal the children’s book review board had its signatures in support submitted in October and the second initiative’s proponents submitted signatures in late November.

To qualify, the initiatives each needed signatures from at least 10% of registered voters in Huntington Beach, or 13,247. The combined cost for the OC Registrar of Voters to verify signatures for both initiatives was $112,992.

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