Smyrna official among those asking Kent County for funding of local libraries

Kent County’s six Levy Court commissioners listened politely to a presentation on the need for county funding for the area’s four municipal libraries, but in the end agreed in principle there was no money available – for the moment – to help.

Dover City Manager Tony DePrima, Smyrna Town Manager David Hugg and Harrington City Manager John Schatzschneider addressed the commissioners in turn about how the county could help finance construction costs for their libraries, with Schatzschneider making a short presentation on behalf of the absent Milford representative.

DePrima said the group was not there to argue the merits of the county having its own library, a moot point since county authorities closed the deal on a new site Jan. 30. Instead, he said, they were there to outline at least three ways the county could help with their funding over the next 10 years, with Smyrna and Harrington asking for backing on approximately 25% of the costs of planning, design and construction. Dover’s request was for approximately 10% of the project costs for its projected anchor library.

The first option would be for the county to provide pledges to pay between $1 million and $1.4 million between fiscal years 2011 and 2014, for a total of $5.13 million.

The second would be to finance two $2.5 million bonds to include debt service on the bonds; the third was to finance the bonds but pay the debt service with a temporary increase in library taxes.
A fourth option would be a combination of any of the other three.

Estimates for a new Smyrna library come to $8.9 million, for which the county would be asked to provide approximately $2.23 million. Harrington needs approximately $840,000 from the county for its projected $3.35 million proposal, while Dover is asking for $2 million to help fund its $22 million facility.

No figures were presented for the Milford library, although approximately $3 million in construction costs are projected.

By assisting municipal libraries throughout the county, the managers felt Levy Court could avoid future costs of building more branch libraries throughout the county, DePrima said.

But while the commissioners commended DePrima, Hugg and Schatzschneider on their work, most were firm the county is not in a position to help.

Levy Court Vice President Allan Angel called it “a great presentation,” but noted the county has been “deluged” with a number of requests for infrastructure improvements, some of which predate consideration of library funding.

Commissioner Eric Buckson, who had opposed construction of a new county library facility, said despite their merit, the proposals currently are beyond the county’s financial means.

“Where we are right now, I don’t see where we can afford this in the near future,” he said. Buckson added he would be opposed to any proposal to raise county library taxes to pay for any municipal library improvements.

Commissioner Harold Brode was even more to the point.

“We have a balanced budget, but we don’t know what the state will do July 1,” when General Assembly finishes work on the state budget, he said.

“We have no extra money at this time. We just don’t have it,” Brode said.

Commissioner Brad Eaby did provide one ray of hope, however. As chairman of the Levy Court finance committee, he wants to keep a dialogue going to explore ways of finding the money.

“The best way to do it is to partner,” Eaby said.

Afterward, DePrima said he had not come to Levy Court expecting the commissioners to approve the funding then and there.

But he did call Eaby’s suggestion is finance committee work with his counterparts in Dover, Smyrna and Harrington a step in the right direction.

“All we’re really asking is to talk further,” DePrima said. “I had no belief we would get approvals tonight. But if we keep talking, I think we can come up with something.”