The Westlock Municipal Library will continue operations as usual after Westlock County agreed to provide funds it had held back while questioning the town about a substantial rent increase.
Library funding was one of the topics at a June 19 joint council meeting between Westlock County council and Westlock town council.
“We have a standing agreement from 2010 and the county has no intention of not honouring that agreement,” said chief administrative officer Leo Ludwig, after the meeting, affirming the library would be getting the money it is expecting.
“We were looking for some adjustments to that agreement with the town, but that’s not going to happen for 2018 so the plan is to have some further discussions before the end of this year on that agreement.”
Westlock Intermunicipal Library Board chair Tanya Pollard was thrilled to hear the news, though she said she has yet to be officially notified the funds are coming through.
“We don’t care how it gets into our coffers, we just need it,” said Pollard.
“I’m excited to hear that at least the wheels are moving and we can expect something. I’m glad that they have seen value in the library because their community sure does.”
In July 2017, the Westlock Intermunicipal Library Board was told its rent at the Heritage Building would increase by $30,000, due to rising costs of maintaining the building.
A joint-use agreement between the two municipalities states the town and the county will share the costs of the library.
The town had come forward with its contribution for 2018, but the county took a stand against the rent increase, instead granting the board a percentage of the 2017 allotment, while it discussed the agreement and the rent increase with the town.
Reeve Lou Hall took issue with previous articles in the Westlock News regarding library funding.
“There was a quote in the paper about the county not wanting to pay and that’s just not true,” she said.
“It makes us sound like we’re not willing to cooperate and we are willing to cooperate. We just had questions, about where these numbers come from, and we had a right to ask that. It made it sound like we were confrontational and we’re not.”
Pollard said she’s just happy to be able to expect some money sometime soon.
“Especially with summer here, we have so many big ideas and having a few extra dollars that we can count on really goes a long way,” she said.
