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Chickasaw County libraries ask supervisors for 6% funding increase to offset inflation
Summary
Library directors and a local board president told supervisors that a 6% county funding increase—about $7,800 total—would help maintain programming, ADA improvements and high usage in small-town branches, asking the board to consider the request during budget deliberations.
Library leaders and a local library board president urged the Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 18 to raise county library funding by 6% to keep pace with inflation and sustain services.
"We're not trying to be greedy here," the board president for Upham Memorial said during a 20-minute presentation, asking the board to provide "at least an increase of 6% over last year, which would pay a total budgetary output of $7,800" across county libraries. Directors from Waller, Fredericksburg, New Hampton, Alta Vista and other local libraries described how prior county funding supported free programming, ADA improvements and space for patrons to read, study and hold meetings.
Presenters told supervisors the county libraries serve outsized portions of their small communities and deliver a high return on public investment. One director said smaller libraries can see hundreds of visits per month and provide safe, supervised spaces for children after school for computer access and STEM programming. They noted the state expects libraries to show progress toward ADA compliance and that some physical upgrades and programming depend on stable funding.
The presenters distributed packets with usage data and local funding information and asked supervisors to consider the requested increase as part of the budget process. They also noted cities contribute varying levy support; some city levies were cited in discussion as material to local library budgets. No formal county budget amendment was adopted at the meeting; the library request was placed on record for future budget deliberations.
The board did not take an immediate vote on county funding for libraries at the Nov. 18 meeting. The most recent procedural action recorded was the board's acknowledgment of the request and distribution of informational packets to supervisors.
