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Residents urge Isanti County commissioners to fully fund libraries
Summary
Multiple residents told the Isanti County Board on Nov. 4 that libraries are vital community resources — offering internet access, children’s programming and meeting space — and urged commissioners not to cut hours or staffing and to consider raises for library staff.
Scores of residents who addressed the Isanti County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 urged the board to fully fund local libraries and to avoid cuts to hours or staffing.
Speakers during the public-comment portion included Lucinda, who described the library as “my sanctuary and my savior,” saying she relied on books and materials to educate herself and escape an unsafe home. Emily Route read a children’s‑book poem and encouraged support for library access. Robert Stone Jr. and Tim Toomer recounted local reliance on library internet access and meeting space, noting that 62% of Cambridge voters had approved funding for a new library and urging that pay and hours be preserved. Marissa Harder Chapman said she missed work to attend and described heavy family reliance on library services and programming.
The comments emphasized several recurring themes: libraries provide free internet and technology access in rural areas, offer meeting space and programming (including for students and homeschoolers), and serve as trusted repositories of history and information. Multiple speakers asked the board to consider raises for library staff and to maintain or increase hours so that residents who pay for facilities via local taxes or bonds can use them.
Board members listened and thanked speakers during the meeting’s public-comment segment. No formal funding motion was made during that item; public comments were recorded for the board’s consideration in upcoming budget discussions. The board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Nov. 18, when budget items and other agenda items may return for further action.
