It will be a sad day if Renton loses its local library.

But it will be a sadder day if Renton’s Library continues to languish because there are other city priorities that demand Renton’s dwindling revenues.

With regret the Renton Reporter is recommending that voters approve the annexation of the City of Renton to the King County Library System.

The debate over the library’s future has split some heavy hitters in the city, people who have only the best in mind for its citizens. In the library’s case, what’s best is not clear-cut.

King Parker, a City Council member and arguably one of Renton’s biggest defenders of all things local, was in tears when it became apparent to him that Renton couldn’t support its own library in a way it so deserves.

For those opposed to annexation, the matter boils down to the loss of local control. Then there’s that $104 a year from a typical property owner that today goes to support the library system. No one will get back that money, but it will go toward paying for much-reduced library services as well as critical city priorities. And, of course, the KCLS services don’t come free.

But local control comes with a cost.

For example, Fairwood feels like a city, but it didn’t become one because the residents there didn’t believe it could pay its bills. No question, Renton has a fine library that could have been better with more financial support from a long line of mayors and city councils. That history is an indication of what commitment a City Council could make in the future if the city doesn’t annex to KCLS.

But the reality TODAY is that Renton is struggling to pay its bills, too, and tough decisions are being made about what city services are top priorities. Public safety is THE top priority as well as providing basic services to Renton’s citizens.

Smart leaders know when it’s time to go elsewhere to find the services that residents need. After much debate and a major study of the cost of improving the Renton Library, the City Council opted to place the annexation on the ballot. That’s fine, but make no mistake that residents aren’t getting much of a financial break in the deal.

Renton residents will have some local control over whether the city builds a new library, perhaps in the Highlands, if and when a levy to do so is placed on the ballot. That’s a glimmer of local control, although the building would belong to KCLS.

Luckily, King County Library System, despite its faults and some political missteps, is arguably one of the best library systems in the nation. Yes, there are long waits for books, especially the new popular ones. Experienced library users know to expect to wait.

KCLS offers some chance for local input on operations and collections through local advisory boards. Those who want a say in what Renton reads should sign up to serve on the board, if Renton annexes to KCLS.

And, if it helps, libraries across the nation are closing down, so Renton is not alone in its struggles to maintain its own library system. Renton simply can’t afford the type of library that its citizens deserve.

KCLS is the future.

But in that future KCLS needs to move quickly to demonstrate that everything that made the Renton Library so valued, including the sense that the librarians really understood the city and its residents, is preserved and expanded.

KCLS will get millions of dollars from Renton residents. In turn, KCLS needs to earn it.