A Lake Oswego resident is challenging the city's plan to relocate its public library, estimating a full renovation at $36 million ahead of the Nov. 3 council election.

In a letter published Sept. 19 in the Lake Oswego Review, Deborah Linke argued the city should fix its existing library rather than build a new one elsewhere. Linke estimated a full renovation would cost about $36 million. She contrasted that with a smaller option: leasing 10,000 square feet of commercial space for a branch library at $1 million to $2.5 million in renovation costs, plus $320,000 to $380,000 in annual rent, totaling roughly $7.6 million over 20 years.

Those are Linke's own extrapolations. The city has not released cost estimates.

"The only criteria for the 'Reuse Task Force' of the existing site is 'generate revenues,'" Linke wrote. "This is a travesty since the library is the heart of our city."

The debate traces back to a July 7 council study session, where members leaned toward building a new library at another location. The current library at 706 Fourth St., completed in 1983, faces seismic deficiencies, water intrusion and building system failures, according to the Lake Oswego Review's July 10 report. Library Director Melissa Kelly recommended a 2.5- to 3.5-acre site for a facility more than twice the current building's size.

At that July 7 session, as the Lake Oswego Review reported, Mayor Joe Buck said the council needed to be realistic about funding. "I'm all for options, but I don't see a path forward to a new library unless we generate money," Buck said, referring to the potential sale of the current site.

The council approved a phased public process in May 2026 for long-term library planning. A 20-person community task force was formed to analyze options and gather public input. The task force was scheduled to hold its first meeting Aug. 26 at the library, according to the city's calendar. The group is expected to meet five to six times total, with analysis and a council decision stretching into 2028 or later.

Kelly also noted that the heir of the family who donated the current library site hoped any sale proceeds would fund a future library. Councilors agreed honoring the family's wishes was important.

Five candidates are competing for four council seats in the Nov. 3 election: Bryan Guiney, Patrick Walsh, Heather Ramsey, Neil Tunmore and Suzanne Miles. Three seats carry four-year terms. The fourth, left vacant by Councilor Rapf's resignation in April 2026, is a two-year term going to the candidate with the fourth-highest vote total. No on-record positions from the candidates on the library question appeared in available public records as of Sept. 19.

Design and construction of a new library, if approved, could run from 2029 to 2031. The task force's remaining meetings have not been publicly scheduled.