Hopkins County officials are forming a committee to address funding issues for the Hopkins County-Madisonville Public Library.
The library has struggled with funding since structural issues forced operations to move from the downtown location to the Park Plaza Mall in 2009. The library is now moving to another, smaller location in the mall to make room for a shoe store. And the move has once again focused attention on a lack of steady funding. Hopkins County Judge Executive Donnie Carroll says the library currently operates on donated funds from the county and city, and the committee is charged with finding other sources without creating a library tax.
“When a library tax is created, the reporting of the library tax then is taken from the county, and it’s moved to the department of libraries and archives. And it becomes under the state. And local officials then have no input as to who serves on the board, or the amount of taxes it raises,” says Carroll.
Carroll says the committee will include 7-10 people representing a cross section of the county. He says they should be ready to begin work after next month's fiscal court meeting. You can click above to hear a full conversation with Judge Carroll.
