Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge commissioners to cut bookmobile plan as library tax is proposed
Summary
The county presented a library fund increase aimed largely at capital replacement for bookmobiles; multiple residents urged eliminating or trimming the program, questioned usage and the program’s cost, and suggested private alternatives. Larson said the library needs reserves to replace aging trucks without debt.
The county auditor said the proposed library property-tax increase is intended mainly to support capital needs — notably replacing aging bookmobiles — and would add roughly $6.33 a year for a home assessed at $488,000.
Charlene Larson said the library serves about 1,950 family accounts and roughly 3,475 checkouts per month, and that capital projects (including one or replacement bookmobiles) drove the proposal to build reserves so replacements can happen without new debt. Multiple residents in public comment pushed back on that logic, saying they seldom see the bookmobile in their towns and questioning whether the county should fund trucks and new books. Carla Moser (speaker 2) told commissioners the Box Elder Committee of Liberty opposes the bookmobile and estimated removing the program would save the county "close to $500,000." Several other commenters raised questions about utilization and suggested the county invest more heavily in online library technology instead of vehicles and printed inventory.
The commission did not decide the library tax tonight and will continue review with the overall budget process.
