Commissioners quickly turn page, end library issue
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The move was an effort to avoid threatened sanctions by the state, which said it would withdraw thousands of books and discontinue several vital library services locally if the county didn’t restore the money it cut from the library budget.
Magness Library had seen its county funding cut from $116,000 to $110,000 earlier this year. The reduction was part of a series of across-the-board cuts designed to avoid raising property taxes.
However, the cuts violated a Maintenance of Effort agreement the county has with the state. The agreement clearly says library funding cannot be reduced.
Commissioner Bill Zechman had warned fellow commissioners of possible state sanctions if they did reduce the library’s budget, but commissioners voted to make the cut in spite of Zechman’s concerns. They said it seemed unfair to cut other non-profit organizations and not the library. Commissioners also seemed skeptical that such sanctions would result.
However, once Warren County’s budget was submitted, state officials were quick to respond. Tennessee Secretary of State Riley C. Darnell, in a letter to County Executive Kenneth Rogers, gave the county until Sept. 26 to restore the $6,000.
Prior to the meeting, Rogers had contacted Darnell and scheduled a meeting to discuss the cut. He received a continuation on the original deadline of Sept. 26 in the process. Rogers told the commissioners he hoped to obtain a waiver from the state allowing the county to make the cut without any sanctions, something Zechman viewed as unlikely.
“We know they have taken a very adamant position elsewhere, particularly in Dickson County,” Zechman said. “I think, personally, it would be very difficult for the secretary of state to make that exception because it would set a precedent that I don’t think the state could live with.”
Still, Rogers’ announcement generated a couple of proposed amendments to the resolution, the first from Commissioner Michael Martin. He asked that, should the commission vote to restore the funds and Rogers was subsequently successful in getting the waiver to allow the cut, the money would be withdrawn. The second was a motion from Commissioner Terry Bell to delay the vote until the next scheduled meeting of the commission, since the deadline had been withdrawn, to give Rogers time to get a waiver.
Bell’s amendment failed by a vote of 14-6 with one commissioner passing. Martin’s amendment to withdraw the funds was defeated by a vote of 18-3.
The commission then moved on to the vote to restore the $6,000 which passed 20-1 with Martin as the only dissenting vote.
Reaction from Magness Library supporters was very positive.
“I am greatly pleased,” said Magness Library board chairman Pat Bigbee. “I’m very proud of the commission and I just think it’s wonderful. The problems are solved. That’s all it took.”
Bigbee noted once commissioners understood what was at stake, they were quick to respond.
“As I have said before, I really think some of the commissioners didn’t understand the importance of the cut,” she said, “As soon as they did, they took care of it.”
Library manager Mary Robbins agreed.
After the meeting, Rogers said he would not pursue the waiver since the matter had been taken care of with the special vote.