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City Fires Back At County Plan To Withhold Library Funding For Rural Branches
October 10, 2012
The City of Pensacola is firing back as the war of words continues between the city and Escambia County over funding for the library system jointly operated by the entities.
After Escambia County cut their contribution to the library system by 5-percent on October 1, the West Florida Library Systems responded by cutting hours at all branches but most drastically at the Century and soon to be open Molino Branch. The county cut all departments and agencies unilaterally by 5-percent, except for the Sheriff’s Office.
County Administrator Randy Oliver said the county will withhold a portion of their funding for the library system in order to hire the city’s library employees to fully staff libraries in the county, reducing the appropriation by the amount necessary to provided staffing to all library branches in the unincorporated areas at the same level as the branch in the city with the greatest operating hours.
“My plan is if the city does not achieve equity in branch hours of operation, the county will hire their library staff part time to fill in the additional hours and deduct the cost from the appropriation,” Oliver said. The Main Library’s hours were cut from 65 to 50 hours per week, while Century and Molino were cut from 40 hours to 24 weekly.
In a letter Tuesday to Oliver, Pensacola City Administrator Bill Reynolds said he found it troubling that some are attempting to make the library funding and reduced hours a “city issue”.
Reynolds claimed that under the joint agreement to operated the library system, Escambia County has actually failed to pay $1,229,663 for library services since 2008.
“We recognize that we must address the hours in which the system is open. This would not be necessary if the county had funded per the agreement, and such actions are solely the
responsibility of the county. Although all facilities Will be affected by the reduced hours, it is hard to explain to ciy residents that their hours should be cut at all, since the city has already inserted an additional $349,700 of their tax dollars to keep services to all users of the system at an acceptable level,” Reynolds wrote.
Reynolds said that Oliver’s plan to adjust library funding to maintain service hours at the rural branches “can only be taken as contemplation by the County to somehow further disrupt the system”.
“The need of your citizens can best be addressed – and in an ultimately cheaper manner – by ensuring that the county properly funds the system per the agreement,” Reynolds wrote in his letter to Oliver. Yet more unilateral deviations from this agreement can only cause more disruption to the citizens of the county, and that is in no one’s best interest.”
Pictured: North Escambia residents rally in support of the Century Branch Library in April after budget problems threatened to close the location. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
23 Responses to “City Fires Back At County Plan To Withhold Library Funding For Rural Branches”
Bob Hudson! Good God!! We agree on something!!
No matter how this is settled , we will not , or at least till they put many of us in the ground , will we ever come under the rule of the city of Pensacola. They can keep their so called (strong mayor).
To Just Me:
We are in Escambia Co. Florida, not Escambia Co. Alabama. Alabama children may not need a library to do their homework at but Florida children do. There is kids that come into the Century branch to do their homework at EVERYDAY!!!!!!!! And I don’t know what we can say to get that through everyone’s heads??????
Wow. 5%. Suck it up.
To Jane…….. I have been to the Atmore library numerous times and have NEVER seen kids doing their homework there. And if they can’t afford internet….They need to get off the system and get a job like the rest of us. Charging for internet services at the library will free up the computers for those who, as you say, do their homework. I’m tired of paying for those who refuse to help themselves.
To “Just me”: There are many people who can’t afford a $50+ bill for wifi every month or even a $40/month DSL bill. The internet is not just for fun….the kids are given assignments to look at/research. People pay bills that way, look up information and lots of other things besides email/games. IF not at the library they go to a fast food establishment to do this, but that is not always a safe place at night to do homework, etc.
Mr. Robert Jackson,
There are lots of services I don’t use which are funded by my tax dollars, but they are still useful to others . I am disapionted that you would even make a comment of that nature regarding the library. I have seen first hand how it provides useful services to those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Century library for instance, is the only resource available to its community. America is plagued with iliteracy; therefore how can you with a clear consciense take away the only educational outlet that is available to its surrounding areas. How can you put a price tag on learning. I personally know children who have benefited from the services they provide. You don’t complain about funding the school systems, so are you willing to donate your time tutoring children who are in need. How are we going combat illiteracy if we make it difficult for those who can’t afford to pay for those services. Everone benefits from the library not just those who can afford it. I am appalled that you would be that discrimative. Whether people drive cars, ride bikes , or walk ,they should not be judged on their mode of transportation or financial status. Sir, can you be a little more open minded concerning this readily available resource.
Well, they could make many cuts inside the libraries…..one being, internet services for those who refuse to pay for them at home. Go into a library and you’ll see many on the internet (facebook, email, etc.) and not much else going on. Or, start charging for the internet services…..
The library budget could be cut in half if they would not buy new DVD’S and 10 brand new computers, every time they open a new library! The idea of the library is for educational / social status quo. I do not believe the majorety of the Escambia County residents realize theat the library is now in the business of movie checkouts, and computer social networking!!!!! I for one do not want my tax dollars to purchase any DVD’S for checkouts. They should be required to make it on donations. This would save alot of money for more hours of operation.
I don’t like paying for the Sheriff’s Department. I never call them. I don’t use their services. If I called them, it would be too late for them to help me by the time they showed up. Shut ‘em down.
I don’t use the public schools. I don’t like paying for them. Who needs education, or libraries. I got mine.
Do any of you see where the extremes of the “Don’t use it, don’t want to pay for it” mindset might lead? Or is it okay for our populace to continue to be forced to “dumb it down”? Any ideas about the long-term effects of growing a stupid, greedy, jungle mentality amongst the middle & poorer classes?
In a civilized, supposedly educated society, Libraries are a cornerstone of Community.
@dw,
County residents seem to come out on the low end of the pole now. You can keep your consilidation or whatever anyone else wants to call it!!!
Close all libraries, or at least start charging a fee for use. I don’t like paying for something I never use. Let the supporters completely fund the libraries.
The supporters champion the good the libraries provide for the poor. Drive though the Tryon parking lot and inventory the nice late model vehicles there.
Libraries, like newspapers and cable TV and USPS, are an outdated dinosaur in a bankrupt nation. Shut ‘em down.
It’s not just a city library or just a county library it is an Escambia system. Residents from one location can and do go to a library in another location. All of the locations are within the boundaries of the county as a whole without distinction. This bickering, generated from Oliver by the way, is unnecessary. It simply fuels a fire that does need to be started. Consolidation (Not charter) is a much better way to go to reduce everyone’s costs. These continuing disputes sound like the Civil War; north vs south…o wait….it is north vs south.
They can’t cut the Sheriffs ofc budget as they need the money to replace all the vehicles that they have destroyed.
…city and county not being able to work together? the way this country is going…especially around here with reduced budgets…bipartians are not welcomed…working with one another is not encouraged…people want smaller government…less “socialism”…then please be prepared for “non-essentials” to be the first cut…just like PBS on the national level…
“Pensacola City Administrator Bill Reynolds said he found it troubling that some are attempting to make the library funding and reduced hours a “city issue”.”
I guess the city needed to not start a fight if they didn’t want one.
Also, why don’t we just let the city pay for its own libraries and us county folk can keep all the county funding for our own libraries… let’s see how that works for them in the city… we usually use the Tryton branch which is pretty darn far from our house but will be going to Molino since it is practically around the corner from us.
Alright Mr Oliver!!! Go get’em!!!
If you love it support it with your own personal money. Buy your own books.
Save the Century and Molino libraries!!
Save the Molino and Century libraries!!!!!!
Hold your ground Mr. Oliver….we in the north end are on your side!!! We are tired of Pensacola taking all the tax money for themselves and leaving the northend of the county to fend for ourselves. Now that Molino has a nice building to use and a library they want to stop us from using it! Contrary to Mr. Reynolds reasoning, Pensacola has squandered the tax money from the county on things like the ballpark and raises for the government in Pensacola. Keep publishing this issue William, we appreciate it!!!!
City & County Government can’t work together or get along, so the citizens’ cultural & informational needs go wanting as one of the most significant & civilized programs budgeted largely through local revenues is slashed yet again.
Sound familiar, folks?
How about, for one year, the Sheriff’s Department donates all proceeds from “Drug War” Seizures to Library coffers, & Friends of the Library can donate all proceeds from bake sales, book auctions, & car washes to the Task Force. They could do without some Hi-Tech Toys for a year— “Books Not Bullets”? “Terminals Not Tasers”? C’mon, who’s with me?!