Bonneville County Library Board discusses renewing the contract with the city
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - No progress was made Tuesday on whether the Idaho Falls Public Library will charge Bonneville County residents more to use the services the library provides.
Currently, Bonneville County residents pay a household fee of $60 which is paid through the county tax. The recent proposal will raise the household tax up by $40 totaling $100.
Bonneville County resident Clara Campbell says she has no problem with the current fee but is against any raise in the tax rate.
"I pay my $60 fee every year and consider it a friends of the library donation," Campbell said. "I do feel it's important to have a library accessible to people who do use the library, even though I don't use one anymore. But I feel that when that number goes to 100 in one year that, that's a breaking point for me. I'm okay paying a $60 for friends of the library fee I'm not okay paying $100."
A sentiment many others in the area echoed.
"All this money doesn't make any sense to me. But paying an extra fee on top of the taxes we are paying as a as a household in our yearly taxes didn't seem fair to me and it didn't seem fair to my children," another county resident said.
The county library board came up with five different proposals that once finalized would be sent to the Idaho Falls City Board.
Rebecca Blackson, a member on the board, asked for an official vote on if the county board will accept the city's proposal.
"Pay the $1.8 million. So that is my motion. Can I get a second? No. Okay."
This was the only proposal the board voted on. The other proposals they came up include keeping current rates flat, raise fees by 5%, merge library districts or go their separate ways. The meeting ended with the board saying they will continue to work with the city to reach an agreement that will keep the libraries in Swan Valley, Iona and Idaho Falls open and accessible to the public.
The current contract with the library ends on Sept. 30. The board plans to meet again on March 18.
