www.dadeinfo.com

I recently read a couple articles on the City cutting the library's funding for next year.
The Dade Sentinel http://dadesentinel.com/content.aspx?mo ... berID=1338
and the Montain Valley independent.
http://www.discoverdade.com/themountain ... endent.htm
The latter doing two articles on the subject. One about the Library folks going to the County Commision with hat in hand and the other an article talking about what has happened. It looks like the City of Trenton has decided not to fund its part next year. The way I understand it when the library was formed it was supposed to be jointly funded by the City, County and School board. One person I talked to said if you think about it City residents pay for the library three times. They pay City, County & School Board Taxes.
The City cut is about $31,000 as I understand it. I started to think what could the library do? It could cut services like all government has had to do lately or it could find new sources of revenue. I thought of a great way to increase revenue.

The library should charge for a library card. A library card should be neccesary to use the internet. What? you say that is unheard of. Let's look at some of the facts. According to the Sentinel I wonder how many are not county residents and or moved away. The Mountain Valley stated the County allocates $75,000. According to http://alabama.educationbug.org/public- ... brary.html The Dekalb County to our South only get's Local Government Revenueof $32,767 and Alabama Government Revenue of $54,836. They have one full time staff and 4 librarians. I wonder how they fund compared to the rest. If we look at Chattanooga Library's policy http://www.lib.chattanooga.gov/librarycards.html they charge for out of county residents. We can see they charge $10 a year.
I think the library should charge $10 for in County residents (less than three gallons of gas or a subway sandwich) and charge $25 annually for out of county residents. This might bring in enough revenue to end local government subsidies or greatly reduce them. $10 x 8000 equals $80,000 and that is assuming that all the 8,000 card holders are from the county. This would also end for city residents triple taxation on a service they may not use or double taxation for county resident and put the fees on the users. Even our State Parks charge to come in.

There you go again, looking at "Other Counites" and expect us here in Dade to be held accountable? Everone here knows that the Library is the place to be. 8,000 users in Dade County???? Is that a year a week or a day???? No one has the guts to ask the questions that really matter and THAT is why there is NO ACCOUNTABILITY.... SHOW your numbers and not just tell us.............

Let me say that I do think the City should help fund the Library. But I also heard from watching the meeting replay that Mrs. Eubanks "TOLD" the county that The Library would be asking for their Uitlities to be paid for by the County Taxpayers and how the County and City needed to get "creative" when it comes to funding them. Well for that I have to think that the Library also needs to do the same and also look at cutbacks instead of handouts.

And for those who want to know, I used to have to be accountable when it came to City funds for the DDA and Chamber of Commerce! Why should'nt all others be held the same??????????

In this week's Sentinel......


Another argument advanced by Cannon for not funding the library is that city taxpayers already do so through their school and county taxes. “How many times should those people have to pay to use that library?” he said.

MOST folks didn't even realize this point. I'm glad that Cannon brought it to LITE! The taxpayers of the City pays THREE TIMES for the SAME SERVICE!

Maybe "Maglev" Mullis will ride to the Rescue for the Library wit all that "State Money" saved by not mowing the Interstatesand Clearing the Ice and Snow on State routes... The Savings is there to be spent somewhere...NO! WAIT! I think it all is earmarked for a train!!! Oh Well a good thought though....

I wonder if 3 out of those 8,000 is me... Or do I only count for one?

I think we are all wondering that Billie. I'm not calling anyone a Lier but I would like the see the proof. Only because you can't get 8 thousand people to do anything here in Dade County. That is a FACT. If that number is true then maybe they should charge for the cards because they would have the most business in town....lol..lol..lol...

I understand that the Library is important, but I feel like Dade County is getting the "Wet Leg" treatment that we always get.

Ha Ha Hee HEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Was there any doubt??????? lol...lol... You don't mess with them "Library Ladies"!!!!!!! lol...lol...

Looks like they "Found" the funds from the Sewer Interest? Sound kinda "Crappy" to me.....lol...lol...lol...

Wonder if I could go into my Crapper and find some extra funds????? My luck instead of "Funds" it would be a lot of GAS!!!!!