Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
JENNIFER FARRELLFaced with an outpouring of support for the branch, commissioners vote to save the library, which nearly became a victim of the city's tight budget.
CLEARWATER - A divided City Commission agreed Tuesday to save the beach library, against the recommendation of City Manager Bill Horne.
Mayor Brian Aungst joined Commissioners Bill Jonson and Hoyt Hamilton in backing the groundswell of support for keeping the branch open, despite the new 90,000-square-foot main library planned to open downtown in March.
Overjoyed beach residents celebrated the decision Tuesday afternoon.
"I just knew they could do it," said Suzanne Boschen, one of several organizers of a persistent and vocal drive to save the beach library. "There was no question ever that they could do it."
But the decision, which will be finalized after budget hearings next month, did not come easily or quickly.
In June, Horne recommended closing the beach branch to help balance next year's budget and keep the tax rate steady. One of three libraries within a 3-mile radius, the beach branch in the Pelican Walk shopping center has been an annual target for city administrators.
But pleas from beach residents flooded City Hall this summer, along with a petition signed by 310 people.
On Tuesday, Aungst suggested using city reserves to cover the $131,000 needed to keep the branch open. Instead, Horne will take money from the library's $652,500 materials budget.
"We'll have to look at doing less of what we do," he said.
Commissioners Whitney Gray and Frank Hibbard pushed to close the beach branch as a way to cut costs during a tight budget year. Fearing more tough decisions ahead if property values don't continue going up, Gray and Hibbard said they were willing to sacrifice the beach branch as a luxury that could return someday when economic circumstances improve.
"It's not a prerequisite that we all have a library within 2 miles of our home," said Hibbard, adding later: "I think that this is one of those decisions that we need to follow through on."
But not this year, said Aungst.
"At some point, we're going to have to make those tough decisions going forward," said the mayor. "I think we can bite the bullet this year."
Meanwhile, commissioners asked for more evening hours at the North Greenwood branch library, which is open until 7 p.m. only on Tuesdays. Commissioners refused to pay extra for more hours and instead asked the staff to juggle daytime schedules to keep the branch open later.
- Jennifer Farrell can be reached at 445-4160 or farrell@sptimes.com