By Jay Monson, Chair, Countywide Library System Committee and member of the Logan City Council, former member of the Cache County Council
The Logan City Council unanimously passed a resolution several months ago supporting the creation of a countywide library system. That decision was made upon findings of the jointly appointed City/County Library Study Committee. An additional study completed by an ‘outside consultant’ made almost identical recommendations of the City/County Committee.
Logan City remains supportive of the creation of a Cache County Library System.
Tina asked a question in her letter concerning why she could not borrow materials from the Logan Library since she shopped and paid taxes in Logan. All sales taxes go to the state of Utah, and they ‘divvy’ up those dollars and disperse them throughout the state. The community of Trenton and Smithfield do receive funds from this same state fund. In fact, most of the smaller communities in the valley could not provide the services they do without these sales tax dollars, of which Logan is the largest contributor, by far, in our valley.
In addition, Logan residents pay an additional tax levy to support the Logan Library.
One basis for Logan’s support of a countywide system is that Logan citizens would not pay an increased tax levy for a countywide system, but would actually pay slightly less per capita and per household than they pay now for the city library. Logan and North Logan are the only cities that have a dedicated and separate tax for libraries. The other cities with libraries take library money from their general city fund. Please note that the citizens of North Logan, Hyrum and Newton would also pay less for library services than they do at present for their own libraries. These four libraries, Logan, North Logan, Hyrum and Newton have three-fourths of material available in all libraries in the county (306,981 of a total of 429,169 items). The city of Smithfield indicated previously that they might join a countywide system. That would add another 30,000 items to a countywide collection. Mendon City also indicated previously that they were interested in joining. It also seems reasonable that the county/Bookmobile collection would be part of a countywide system, adding 26,150 additional items.
If the county were to orchestrate a countywide system with these cities of Logan, North Logan, Hyrum, Smithfield, Mendon and Newton, plus the unincorporated population of the county for whom the county has direct responsibility for, that would be approximately 72% of county citizens who would enjoy a countywide library system. The consultant and our local committee estimated it would be approximately $60 per year for the average home in the valley, or $5.00 per month for a countywide library system. When everyone helps pay for a library, the economics of providing services decreases significantly. This is the same model which our excellent public schools are financed; only library services cost much, much, less.
Certainly it would be unwise at this time to require the entire populace of Cache County to be levied with a significant tax increase for the establishment of a countywide system. However, the county could orchestrate a ‘quasi-countywide library system’ by bringing together those cities for whom a county system would not be a tax increase, and any other city such as Mendon and possibly Smithfield who want full library services, thus forming the beginning of a eventual fully-functioning total wide countywide library system. Until the economy improves significantly, many recommended aspects of countywide system would be put on hold.
The Logan City Council and Mayor hope that the Cache County Council and Administration will lead out in this endeavor. The beginnings of a system would certainly be a major step forward and far better than no system at all.
