ST. GEORGE, La. (WAFB) – St. George city leaders are considering breaking away from the East Baton Rouge Parish library system, arguing residents pay too much for limited services.
City Councilman Andrew Murrell said the city only has one library within city limits, the Jones Creek Branch.
“One library in 60 square miles for 86,000 citizens. It seems like we’re being underserved as usual from the parish and overtaxed as usual from the parish,” Murrell said.
Murrell said St. George taxpayers pay about $17 million as part of the parish-wide library tax. He wants the city to create its own board to run the Jones Creek branch and redirect funds to other projects.
“We don’t need $17 million to run the Jones Creek Library, so why don’t we put that money back in citizens pockets so they can enjoy better roads, better drainage,” Murrell said.
Assistant Library Director for East Baton Rouge Parish Mary Stein said she is not sure the breakaway is possible, noting voters parish-wide approved the library’s funding.
“It’s like you draw a fence around that library and that is not the way we do it in Louisiana. The whole parish library system serves the whole parish,” Stein said.
Stein said the money is used at over a dozen library locations throughout the parish for more than just books. She said St. George residents would lose services if the breakaway were approved.
“Just imagine if you’re not welcome here at the Main Library, you can’t come to the small business engine program, you can’t come to the career fair, you can’t use our Libby downloads,” Stein said.
Stein said a breakaway would mean fewer shared resources.
“We are a system, which means we share resources because no one library can do it all,” Stein said.
Murrell said the city’s focus needs to be on basic needs.
“Streets, drainage, and crime are the priorities. The library can take a little less,” Murrell said.
The St. George City Council will hold a public hearing and vote on creating its own library system on June 9.
Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline.
Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.