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Friends of Sierra Vista Public Library ask council for $10,000 loan to stabilize bookstore operations
Summary
Steve Conroy of the Friends group asked the council to consider a $10,000 loan to leverage a $10,000 Legacy Foundation pledge and help stabilize the Friends' bookstore, citing rent reductions, increased online sales to about $4,000/month and recent personal donations of roughly $6,000.
During public comment at the June 26 meeting, Steve Conroy, representing the Friends of the Sierra Vista Public Library bookstore, told the council the volunteer-run nonprofit faces serious financial strain and asked the city to consider a $10,000 loan to unlock a matching $10,000 commitment from the Legacy Foundation.
Conroy said the Friends historically provided $20,000–$50,000 a year to the library, but recent pressures—reduced in-person customers, rising rent and utilities, and one recent $20,000 donation to the library—have left the bookstore financially vulnerable. He said the property manager agreed to lower the bookstore’s rent from $8,500 to $5,000 per month for six months and that the group has raised about $6,000 in personal donations and is running a GoFundMe; he reported online sales around $4,000 per month.
Conroy asked the council to consider providing $10,000, characterized as a loan the Friends would repay, to help the bookstore regain sustainability and resume donations to the library once financially stable. Council did not take immediate action during the meeting; the comment was recorded for council consideration.
