The future of Pasco County's library system tops the agenda for county commissioners' budget workshop this morning.
The county plans to close the Centennial Park branch library in Holiday this year for budget reasons. That proposal drew protests last Tuesday from library patrons, who pleaded with commissioners to keep it open.
"People have been very vocal about keeping the library open," Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said. "I get it. We get it."
But doing that could force commissioners to take another course in balancing the 2010-11 budget, which starts Oct. 1. One option could be alternating staff between the South Holiday and Centennial Park branches and between New River in Wesley Chapel and Hugh Embry in Dade City.
If closed, Centennial Park library's books could be replaced by county employees currently working out of leased space.
Commissioners considered closing Centennial Park last year but used part of a $13 million tax rate hike to keep it open one more year.
It's unclear whether commissioners will make the same choice this year.
A small proposed rate hike would give them a little more than $4 million to save some county services. Today's meeting will include talk of which county programs will benefit from that money.
"We have to look at all the priorities," Hildebrand said. "If we can squeeze some nickels and dimes together, I'd like to save the Centennial library."
The workshop begins at 9 a.m. in Building A of the conference center at Pasco-Hernando Community College's Dade City campus, 36727 Blanton Road.
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