A.G. Gancarski
The Jacksonville City Council Finance Committee budget hearing continued on Wednesday afternoon, with a proposal to extend hours for the Kori Road library location to Monday being discussed, at a cost of $94,000 from Special Council Contingency.
Councilman Matt Schellenberg urged that for the 100,000 people in Mandarin, a library should be available on Monday.
This caused Councilman John Crescimbeni consternation, saying that if this is done for Mandarin, it needs to be done citywide.
“You’re saying that argument doesn’t hold for the beaches” and other areas,” Crescimbeni asked.
Crescimbeni posited that a considerable number of people come from St. Johns County to use the Mandarin library. There is a revenue component: $26,000 in total comes to the library system from out of area users.
At Large Councilman Tommy Hazouri, meanwhile, who lives in Mandarin, opposes the proposal.
“I don’t see how we can just pick and choose each and every area, because every area has a need,” he said, reaffirming his proposal to drive users to underutilized libraries.
Councilwoman Lori Boyer of San Marco noted the geographic inequity of the current plan to extend hours, noting that two regional branch libraries are close together.
“If we are going to continue concentrating resources at the regional branches,” Boyer said, it presents “geographic challenges.”
The goal from the library system: a holistic expansion of hours across the board at locations to a six day a week schedule.
Gulliford mentioned that, if there is will to open Mandarin on Mondays, he will push for the Beaches Library to be open as well.
The motion was tabled, briefly, then revisited.
Gulliford mentioned the “negative impact” on staff when Council overrides the will of the body itself.
The motion failed.
