Lack of Funding Could Delay New Cherokee Library

While the Cherokee County Library Board of Trustees has approved a contract to build a new library in the eastern sector of the county, a lack of funds available from the county government could stall the project. 

The Cherokee County Commission on Tuesday was asked by Susan White, the director of the Sequoyah Regional Library System, to either part ways with its share of the project towards construction and operations or cancel the project. 

The library, which is slated to be on the corner of Highway 20/Cumming Highway at Old Mill Road in the Lathemtown community, will cost about $5.3 million to build and will be about 18,000 square feet.

Cherokee County has to give $3.6 million for construction costs and find another $300,000 to fund operations on an annual basis.

The state government has contributed $2 million towards the project, and White said the state requires the county to spend the $2 million by November or they will lose the funding. State funds can only be used for construction, not operations, White noted.

The project is set to start construction in May, open by June 2014.

White said if the project is delayed, the project would be moved to the bottom of the state list of library construction projects. The list currently stands at 38, and White said the Cherokee project could become number 39 if it's delayed.  

The county's library application was submitted in 2005. During that time, the state approved between 10 and 15 projects each year.

However, this year, the state has only approved three projects and if that pace remains, it could be 13 years before the project to move to the top of the list, White stated. 

County Manager Jerry Cooper said both the previous and current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax programs had funding set aside for the construction of the library. 

"Funding for construction should not be an issue, but the Library System will likely need to delay opening the facility until operating funds become available," he said. 

He noted that the county is not expecting the economic outlook to improve drastically as it begins to plan for fiscal year 2014, making it difficult for the county to contribute funds towards operations. 

Cooper noted it's doubtful that funding for operations will be available by the June 2014 opening date, and but added he hopes funding will be available by October 2014.

White on Wednesday did note she and her staff have concerns about possibly not having enough annual operating funds once the library opens.

However, she noted turning down $2 million in state funding is "difficult," and the county desperately needs a library in the eastern portion of the county. 

"We want to serve all people of Cherokee County, including those in the Free Home, Lathemtown, and Macedonia areas, and constructing a new facility in that area makes that possible," she said. "After years of waiting, it would be difficult to turn down this money, both state and local, for a project that was seen as a real need in the county."

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