Swain County approves amendments to Fontana Regional Library agreement as Jackson County signals possible withdrawal

Swain County commissioners voted Feb. 17 to approve three amendments to the Fontana Regional Library (FRL) interlocal agreement after months of negotiations with Jackson and Macon counties. The changes adjust membership structure, create a distinct regional director position, and revise how year-end surplus funds would be returned to member counties.

The board adopted language that would allow a city member slot to be filled by a county commissioner, separate the regional director role from local librarians so that the director reports directly to the FRL board, and require that any funds in excess of a required fund balance (set at 25% in the amended language) be reimbursed to member counties within 15 days of board approval but no later than Sept. 30.

‘‘Right now there are 6 libraries total in the Fontana Regional Library system. We have 1 in Swain,’’ said a Fontana board member who spoke with the board and identified herself as a current FRL board appointee. She said shared services—IT, finance, personnel and purchasing—are concentrated at the FRL headquarters in Bryson City and that those shared services are a key reason counties participate in the regional system.

The speaker told commissioners that Jackson County is moving toward withdrawing from FRL and that Jackson has appropriated about $350,000 to buy the equipment it would need to operate its libraries independently. ‘‘If Jackson pulls out, Swain will have to cover a larger share of shared costs,’’ she said, estimating Swain’s additional annual expense could range from roughly $15,000 at the low end to a much higher figure depending on state aid and staffing choices.

Commissioners raised concerns about budget timing and whether the county should act now or wait to see what Jackson and Macon decide. Lottie, a county manager present at the meeting, noted the county must finalize its budget while uncertainty about other counties’ participation remains. The board ultimately voted to approve the amendments.

Why it matters: FRL provides shared back-office services and program support that small counties use to keep operating costs low. If a member county withdraws, remaining members could face higher per-county costs for IT, personnel and other centralized services.

Next steps: Commissioners and FRL officials said they will monitor Jackson and Macon County decisions and adjust Swain’s budget planning accordingly. The county’s library renovation and expansion project is a separate Swain-funded effort and, officials said, will proceed regardless of FRL membership.

Sources and attribution: Quotes and information in this article come from a Fontana Regional Library board representative who spoke at the Feb. 17 meeting and from county staff remarks recorded at the Swain County Board of Commissioners meeting.