BROOKSVILLE — This one’s for the books. And the branch.
Hernando County commissioners on Thursday, July 30, responded to community action that called on them to keep and reopen the West Hernando Branch Library.
County Administrator Jeff Rogers said he was looking for savings in the county’s budget, and shutting down the branch could cut seven positions and save $512,107.
The branch at 6335 Blackbird Ave. currently is closed for repairs, and one public commenter expressed concern about the condition of the books with the air conditioning system not operating.
According to published reports, the branch’s air conditioning system will be fixed and the facility will reopen soon.
The county’s budget presentation said that library services could be provided at the library branch at Spring Hill Drive, but residents who use the West Hernando library branch said that it’s inconvenient for them to go to the Spring Hill Drive branch, and that the children’s section is smaller there.
The community organized quickly once word got out about the possible closure.
According to a post on Facebook, about 100 people came to the meeting, 33 spoke for more than an hour and 30 minutes, and commissioners got more than a thousand emails.
Public comment
Members of the public spoke eloquently in the three minutes each person was allowed on the importance of the West Hernando Branch to the cause of literacy and education, with public school teachers and homeschool parents describing an invaluable resource that brings books, materials and programs to the young.
One parent noted that books are expensive, and that the library provides vital support to her effort to have her children educated.
Marina Surette, who said she’s a professional librarian with a master’s degree, said the county should be eliminating waste in its budget and that closing the West Hernando branch is “very shortsighted.”
“Hernando County taxpayers have already invested heavily in this facility,” she said. “The west branch houses nearly 37,000 physical items, and with an estimate replacement cost of probably $1.2 million, along with an additional estimated $300,000 to $400,000 in infrastructure and technology.”
The question is whether the taxpayers will receive the full value of what they’ve paid for, she added.
One of several children, “Ellie,” spoke without fear or hesitation about the library branch.
“Me and my family love going to the West Hernando Branch library because the kids’ section is huge,” she said. “And when it’s closed, we have to check out our books at the Sterling Hill library. And my sister just wants to go browse there and we see that it’s super-small.”
Online response
Commissioner Ryan Amsler noted that his email exploded. He said he was worried he might miss emails about other issues.
Commission Chairman Jerry Campbell assured people that a separate overflow area was being set up, and the children in the audience were told they’d get stickers for coming to the meeting. Eventually, the staff was told to go into the overflow room so the public could sit.
County Commissioner John Allocco said in the past budget meetings were sparsely attended.
County Commissioner Steve Champion kept repeating the same mantra over and over: people are going to vote “Yes” on the November referendum to cut property taxes, and that municipalities and counties are going to have to reduce their spending.
There are four commissioners since former Commissioner Brian Hawkins has resigned to run for the State House.
Line by line
Commissioners spent hours after public comment going through the county’s budget line by line, looking for savings and areas to cut.
The meeting itself went on for nearly nine hours.
The specter of the November vote loomed over the elected officials and staff, as department heads came to the podium and said this item could be delayed and that item could be cut.
At the end of the meeting, Campbell said he was proud of staff and the commissioners for “working together for a better Hernando.”
Library patrons speak
Outside the Spring Hill Drive branch of the library system on Friday, July 31, people were happy to hear that the West Hernando Branch library would not be cut and would reopen.
Mary Franklin, who attended the meeting on Thursday but didn’t speak, was holding the hand of J.J., age 3, and said she was glad to hear that the commission decided to keep the branch open and that it would be great to go back to the West Hernando branch.
“For the children, when that closed, they had to go to the other library,” she said, noting that at the Brooksville library the children’s section is the size of a business cubicle. “This one is small, too,” she said referring to the one at the Spring Hill Drive branch.
The West Hernando branch is big and has everything you can imagine, Franklin said.
J.J. said he likes the library.
Veronica Moore was the first public commenter at the meeting.
She called the decision to reopen the branch “fabulous” because she lives near there.
“It’s only four miles to that library,” she said. “It’s 11 miles to here.”
There are a lot of houses, mobile homes and new homes near the branch, she added.
She said she was happy to see all the people who came to the meeting.
Marian White of Spring Hill said she was happy to hear about the decision to keep it open. She said the West Hernando branch has more books.
“It’s a big library,” she said.
Franklin said a lot of people said they’d come back for the next budget meetings in September.
There will be two more budget meetings, on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 5:01 p.m.; and on Sept. 22, at 5:01 p.m. The budget will become effective on Oct. 1.