Troy Library to be Open on Saturdays, but Not Fridays

The  will begin offering Saturday hours of operation, but will be closed to the public on Fridays under a measure passed Monday night by the city's governing body.

Currently, the library is open 55 hours each week, Sunday through Friday, and closed on Saturdays. Library director Cathy Russ said Saturdays were picked for closure because it is the most expensive day to operate the library.

Troy City Council members Doug Tietz, Dave Henderson and Mayor Janice Daniels said during their campaigns for office that they supported opening the library on Saturdays. Some voters during the Nov. 8 City Council election also voiced their desire to have the library open on Saturdays.

Kayla Johnson, 19, and her mother, Janet Johnson, said on Nov. 8 that having the library closed on Saturdays makes finishing homework difficult because they have only one computer in their home to share and that waiting until Sunday to go to the library to complete school work isn't always an option.

Council  to provide a list of options to establish Saturday hours at the library. Those options were provided to the city's governing body on Monday.

While several members of council expressed their desire to have the library open seven days a week, estimates by city and library administration indicated the extra day of operation would require an additional $340,000 per year from the library's operating budget. That cost, according to estimates, would result in a negative fund balance for the library of about $1.33 million over five years, with the deficit to be made up from the city's general fund balance.

Accountant Tom Darling, who is has been retained by the city to assist with city finances due to staff shortages, said a contribution from the city's general fund would bring the city's estimated budget deficit to about $6 million by the end of 2014.

Based on the budget estimates, Councilman Dane Slater said he supported keeping the library open six days per week, with Saturday hours offered in lieu of Friday hours, as proposed under the second option from library and city administration.

The option will allow the library to operate at the same cost if hours are cut to 51 each week. However, maintaining the 55-hour week would require an estimated $35,000 per year to the library's existing operating budget. While the scenario calls for an increased budget, Russ said hours could be adjusted to minimize the cost.

That was introduced as an amended resolution following a proposal to keep the library open for seven days a week. The amendment was approved by City Council by a vote of 4-3, with Daniels, Henderson and Tietz voting against the resolution, and later subsequently passed by a vote of 6-1, with Daniels casting the opposing vote.