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Commissioners split on paying Mount Olive library electric bills; matter referred to facilities committee
Summary
A June 17 Wayne County commissioners’ session ended without agreement to maintain the county’s current $1,500 monthly contribution toward the Still Memorial Library’s electric bill; the board sent the matter and all library MOUs to the Facilities Committee for further review.
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners in a lengthy June 17 discussion failed to adopt a motion to continue the county’s current agreement to pay $1,500 per month toward the electric bill for the Still Memorial Library in Mount Olive. The board later voted to refer the library memorandum of understanding (MOU) and other library MOUs to the Facilities Committee for study and recommendation.
Background: The Still Memorial Library operates as a branch of the Wayne County Public Library system. The county owns the building and provides staffing and many operational services. A decade-old agreement obligates the town of Mount Olive to pay $1,000 (later increased to $1,500) monthly toward the facility’s electric costs; the agreement also contains an escalation clause tied to authorized utility rate increases.
What commissioners discussed: Commissioner Antonio Williams and other board members argued the county already pays utilities for the Goldsboro branch and should offer parity to Mount Olive, noting the library serves residents beyond Mount Olive’s city limits. Mount Olive’s mayor and a town commissioner urged relief, saying the town contributed funds toward renovation and the branch provides broader county benefits.
Officials and staff provided figures: Finance staff reported an average monthly electric cost of about $3,100 for the Still Memorial Library over the past 12 months; the most recent bill paid was $2,500. Commissioners estimated the town’s historical contribution at roughly $18,000 over ten years at $1,500 per month. Facilities staff said the county spent roughly $2 million renovating and rehabbing the building after finding substantial structural and mechanical issues.
Board action and next steps: A motion to maintain the existing agreements resulted in a tie vote (3–3) and therefore failed. A subsequent motion to refer the issue — and all three library branch MOUs — to the Facilities Committee passed; commissioners asked staff to provide additional documents to the committee, including utility costs for other branches (e.g., Goldsboro and Fremont), building square footage, usage/visitor data, and details on maintenance and lease costs for leased branches.
Why it matters: Commissioners emphasized fairness and countywide service while also noting MOUs and legacy agreements can shift long-term obligations to county taxpayers. The Facilities Committee will review the contracts, usage data and cost breakdowns and return a recommendation to the full board.
Provenance: topic discussion begins with Commissioner Williams’s item request and continues through public testimony by Mount Olive officials, staff cost figures, the failed motion to continue the existing agreement, and the referral to Facilities Committee.
