Libraries ask for funding from VZC

Submitted by Canton1 on
By Britne Hammons Staff Writer

The Van Zandt County Commissioners have found themselves up to the elbows in all things budgetary, taking the first couple of weeks of August to simply and adjust the county budget.  However, transparency of monies allocated to the libraries throughout the county might hit the Grand Saline Library in the pocketbook this year.

There are only two libraries within the county that received funds, the Van Zandt County Library located in Canton and the Grand Saline Library in Grand Saline.

However, there are more libraries in the county that are now wanting a piece of the money pie.

The Grand Saline Library receives $10,500 from the county every year for expenses that GS Library officials say is “necessary to the operating budget.”

“We receive $10,500 a year from the county. We are not asking for more, but to just keep continuing to receive what we normally get from the county. We do change lives at the library and we do make a difference,” said Friends of the GS Library President Jan Adamson.

The City of Grand Saline budgets approximately $35,000 for salaries at the GS Library.  Grand Saline City Administrator Rex White said that the county funds are used to pay utilities, buy books and offer programs to the citizens that come to the Grand Saline Library. 

The City of Van also has the Van Community Library within its city limits. However, the VCL has never been funded by county monies and is currently not funded by the city of Van. During the commissioner’s court meeting Aug. 9, Van City Councilman Ernie Burns and Library Volunteer Joan Tunnell Driver asked the commissioners to “squeeze the budget a little.”

To read the full article, subscribe to the Canton Herald or pick up a copy from one of our vendors.