Buckle up your greenbelts: the Reagan belongs in Simi
There's no debating it: the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum should fall under the jurisdiction of the city of Simi Valley.

It doesn't require knowledge of LAFCO- the Local Agency Formation Commission- policy to understand why it makes good government sense to bring an area that receives nearly all its services from one city, including water, road maintenance and emergency response, into that city's tax revenue base.

The library thinks it's a good idea. So do most of the county commissioners. And soon LAFCO- which suggested that the library be brought under Simi's "sphere of influence" in the first place- is expected to agree. So what's the problem?

Statements from Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks that the possible future annexation of the library by the city would threaten the Tierra Rejada Greenbelt agreement, which preserves the land in question and forbids any city from annexing it, are baseless. The City Council has made it clear it has no intention of developing anything on the acres of open space that surround the library grounds- and why would they want to?

To risk jeopardizing the sanctity and image of the city's greatest treasure for a few thousand more dollars in property taxes?

Last night's Republican presidential candidate debate and the surrounding media coverage- which beamed views of the city to every corner of the nation- was just another reminder of why it's about time Simi and the library get more serious about their relationship.

The term "sphere of influence" doesn't mean much to the average person on the street. Simply put, it's the next step required to annex the land and the Reagan Library.

Let's hope Supervisor Parks and the neighboring cities of Thousand Oaks and Moorpark get all their questions answered and get with the program.

Because unlike the 10 Republican presidential candidates who squared off last night- there's no debating this one.