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Library director presents usage gains and fund balance as council probes nonresident fees
Summary
Library staff told the council the Nampa Public Library has about 44,000 active cards, rising usage across services and a reserve of roughly $2 million; councilmembers pressed whether county nonresidents pay their fair share and asked the library board to study raising the $52 annual nonresident fee.
The Nampa Public Library reported steady growth in community use and an available reserve as councilmembers questioned whether nonresident users are contributing an equitable share.
Jared, the library presenter, said the library has about 44,000 active cards and highlighted examples of patrons saving money by using library services — "Over the year, they've saved over $1,000 by using library resources," he said, and added long-term patrons have saved substantially more. The board of trustees has proposed a fiscal-year allocation to the library of just under $3.5 million, with about 76% for salaries and benefits, 8% for collections and the remainder for operations.
Why it matters: Council members probed how much of the library's usage comes from residents who do not pay Nampa property taxes. Ezekiel, a library staff member who provided account counts, reported 557 nonresident accounts at one point in the discussion and later 2,557 active county users were referenced. Library staff said nonresident cardholders pay an annual fee ($52; $33 for seniors) and that the library tracks addresses and city boundaries when issuing cards.
Council members urged a closer look at cost-sharing. Councilman Griffin said he wanted a study on the share of county users and whether the annual fee reflects the cost of service; he suggested a hypothetical increase to $70 as an illustrative figure that could raise roughly $174,000 if nonresident counts held steady. Library staff said fee changes would be a policy decision for the board of trustees to consider and that the city council could provide input and ask staff to present options.
On reserves and maintenance: Council members asked about the library's fund balance and deferred maintenance. Jared told the council the library had a fund balance he estimated at $2,500,000; city finance staff (Doug) described the balance as "a little north of $2,000,000," explaining the city keeps funds available to cover major structural repairs (for example, a complex HVAC repair was cited as a potential near‑$1 million repair). Facilities is coordinating replacement projects for lighting and carpet in the coming years.
What happens next: Council members asked staff to provide detailed breakdowns — including maps showing where active cardholders live and a revisit of the fee structure — and some councilmembers offered to attend upcoming library board meetings to discuss possible nonresident fee changes. No formal motion was made during the workshop.
