By David Wiwchar

Library under budget microscope

Feb 28, 2024 | 8:19 AM

In their ongoing efforts to trim the city budget, Council is pushing back against increases to the Vancouver Island regional library.

Mayor Sharie Minions says the city and regional district pay a combined $1.8 million for library services, meanwhile the cost of the local branch is $600,000 – just one third of the local contribution.

She says Council is tired of watching money be spent at other libraries that Port Alberni taxpayers have been funding.

“We pay for a lot of services in the system that are only able to be accessed in Nanaimo or other communities so we are paying a significant amount for services that our community members are not able to access locally that’s how the co-op works and I think we are absolutely asking is this the right model for us to be involved in and are there alternatives for us to be looking at?” she said.

Port Alberni city councillor Todd Patola is the city’s representative on the library board and told City Council on Monday that the city is paying too much for too many library services and features.

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“It truly is a Cadillac of library services. I’m not sure we need to have a Cadillac and that the people of Port Alberni need to be paying for that vehicle. I think perhaps something cheaper but in a perfectly acceptable range of a De Soto or a Hyundai would be appropriate,” he said. “In summary, that’s a nice library, but can we see something in our price range.”

Patola raised the issue of an EV charger being installed at the Masset library that the city is being forced to help pay for.

He also said Port Alberni taxpayers are footing the bill for meeting rooms in other cities, and overdose alarms in washrooms in cities other than Port Alberni.

Minions said the recent revelation that Port Alberni will be helping fund an electric vehicle charger in Masset is further evidence of the Library’s financial disconnect.

Library CEO, Ben Hyman says the $20,000 charger project in Masset will be covered off by grants, but admitted who pays for the electricity is still to be negotiated.