Council continues discussion on Hiram Library price increase; seeks more info from Hiram City

The Wellsville City Council on Jan. 15 debated a proposed fee change from Hiram City that would raise the amount Wellsville pays for library access and voted to continue the item for further discussion with Hiram officials.

Scott Wells, Wellsville’s mayor, briefed the council on a proposed change from Hiram’s library that would shift billing from a per-active-card model to a per-household fee. Under the current arrangement, Wellsville pays $44 per active library card; with roughly 400–458 active users that has amounted to about $18,000–$20,000 annually, Wells said. Hiram City’s proposal reported to council would move to a $30-per-household charge for the entire city, increasing Wellsville’s cost to about $35,100 per year.

Wells said Hiram’s broader discussion also raised the nonresident card cost of about $75 per year; he and other council members reviewed scenarios in which the city might stop renewing a contract with Hiram and instead reimburse individual residents a portion of nonresident-card fees.

Council members expressed concern about fairness and cost distribution. One council member observed that roughly 400 residents use Hiram library cards out of about 1,170 households in Wellsville and questioned whether a household-wide charge would be acceptable to residents who do not use the library. “If we only have 400 people... that's not gonna sit well with a lot of people,” a council member said during debate.

Others noted alternatives: use of nearby county and municipal library systems (including Cache County/Providence) or asking Hiram about options for reimbursing individual nonresident card purchases rather than imposing a citywide household fee. Staff said the extra annual cost would need to come from the general fund if the city accepts Hiram’s proposed household charge.

Mayor Wells proposed, and the council approved, postponing the item to the next meeting while he discusses possible contract options with Hiram City. A motion to continue the Hiram Library discussion to the next meeting carried on a voice vote; the minutes record the motion, a second and an affirmative vote.

What’s next: Mayor Wells will discuss alternatives with Hiram City — including whether Wellsville can stop renewing the contract and reimburse individual residents — and bring a recommendation back to the council at the next meeting.