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Nampa residents urge council to preserve library funding amid budget talks
Summary
Residents, including a 10‑year‑old and leaders of local schools and businesses, urged the Nampa City Council to avoid cuts to the public library budget and to retain membership in the LINKS consortium; staff said no current operating cut had been implemented beyond a $12,000 parking allocation change.
Dozens of Nampa residents told the City Council on Monday they rely on the public library’s programs, staff and shared collections and urged the council to preserve, and where possible increase, funding.
During the public‑forum portion of the meeting, 10‑year‑old Ezekiel Garcia said cutting library funding would leave children and other residents without access to books and information. “Books are important because they keep you informed so you can be an educated citizen,” he told council members.
Several other speakers gave more detailed examples. Melinda Parker, a District 3 resident, cited the library’s 2025 activity: more than 700,000 visits and more than 708,000 circulated physical items, plus a 34% rise in adult‑program participation. “In challenging economic times, Nampa relies more than ever on the library services and programs,” Parker said, urging the council to continue support and to increase capacity as the city grows.
Myra Deanda Hernandez, a community school coordinator with the Nampa School District’s federal programs, described partnerships between Endeavor Elementary and the library that produced reading passports and more than 500 literacy kits placed throughout the community. “The library is a resource that we need to support and partner with in creative ways to bring more awareness to the amazing work they do out in our community,” she said.
Kristen Tom, a downtown business owner, said library events bring customers downtown and asked the council to keep Nampa in the LINKS consortium, a reciprocal arrangement that lets local cardholders borrow from libraries across southern Idaho. Lucy Priebe and other speakers described hands‑on services — from a Cricut maker station to programs for adults — and warned that removing staff or consortium access would reduce literacy and equitable access.
Council and staff responses
Clay Long, the city’s chief of staff, summarized actions from a recent budget workshop and sought to calm concerns: council had removed a $12,000 parking allocation after the property owner chose not to charge staff, asked staff to review purchasing policy, and directed library staff and city staff to identify potential FY27 adjustments for discussion at an August workshop. “Currently, there’s no cut to the library,” Long said.
Mayor Daryl Bruner thanked speakers for coming and singled out the young speaker for praise.
What happens next
Council members asked staff to prepare options and follow up in a workshop; the mayor and staff said the FY27 requests remain under review and that any changes would return to council for formal consideration during the budget and public hearing process.
