Pennington County ends library funding

The revolt may have started. I’ve said all along that owner occupied property taxes have hit the breaking point. Pennington County commissioners voted not to approve, not to fund, the Rapid City public library at the tune of $475,000 dollars. They, instead, amended the taxpayer-paid expenditure to $80,000 or about one-sixth of the fund.

If you go to the Rapid City library you will see two signs posted to the door. The signs read, “ending due to budget cuts.”

Collection

• 30 print magazine titles

• Seed library

• Databases

• American Indian Experience

• Artist works

- Chilton’s Auto Repair

• Gardening and horticulture

• Grants information

• Job now (job seeking help)

• Law depot (legal forms)

• newspaper.com central collection - teen health and wellness

Events

• Gentle chair yoga

• Little hands art and play (kids STEAM event) - practical making (adult STEAM event)

Newspapers

• Argus Leader

• Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

• Todd County Tribune, TriState Livestock News, USA Today

Services

• Dial-A-Story

• Library podcast 

• Museum passes 

Reduced due

to budget cuts

• 56 percent reduction in DVDs and interactive collections

• 32% percent fewer book purchases

• 16 percent fewer ebook purchases

• Purchase suggestions limited to 12 per year 

Reduced newspaper copies

• Native Sun News

• Rapid City Journal

Curiosity Club (kids STEAM event for ages 6-11), Maker Mania (kids STEAM event (ages 8-12), Open art sessions (hands on event for all ages)

Notary Update - A fee will be charged for notary services to non card holders

Notice to Library Users

Pennington County has terminated its contract with Rapid City Public Library. As a result, the following impacts will be felt effective January 1:

-Library and bookmobile closed Sunday due to reduced staff - collection events and research databases will be eliminated or reduced (see reverse) [By the way, there is no reverse.]

• Pennington County residents outside Rapid City limits an annual library user fee.

• Collaborative agreement with Wall, Hill City and Keystone libraries will end.

It lists the five Pennington County commissioners.

• Ron Weifenbach, Chair (Commission District 2) 605-209-2418, ron.weifenbach@pennco.org

• Deb Hancock, Vice Chair (Commission District 3) 605-389-0395, debdis

trict3@midco.net

• Ron Rossknecht (Commission District 1) 605-391-1162, value@hills.net, pcboc@pennco.org

• Jerry Derr (Commission District 4) 605-545-2505, jerry.derr@pennco.org

• Gary Drewes (Commission District 5), 605-940-1120, gary.drewes@gmail.com

So, all of us owner occupied homeowners pay a mandatory fee to the library. It’s figured off of the mil levy. My mil levy was 0.144 mills, so I figured $0.144 mills per $1,000 property tax value. My property is a $500K evaluation assessment, minus $100K land value, and it comes out 0.144x400=$57.60 per year for a library fee.

The $50 question is: are other county commissioners in the other 65 counties going to do the same thing—trying to rein in their out-of-control county budgets? Stand by.