December 11th 2025 |
Photo – Bigfoot 99 file photo
Hanna officials say they’re disappointed with the way the Carbon County Library Board has treated the town.
December 1st, 2025, was the 100th anniversary of the Carbon County Library System. To mark the occasion, the Library Board has arranged celebration events at the individual branches. The Hanna Library is hosting its event tomorrow, December 12th.
At Tuesday’s Hanna Town Council meeting, Clerk Vivian Gonzales explained that the governing body wasn’t given advance notice of the centennial celebration. Clerk Gonzales said she learned about the event that day, adding that the Library Board has asked Mayor Charlie George to attend.
Recent property tax relief bills have slashed the amount of tax revenue local governments received this fiscal year. As a result, the Carbon County Library System saw a 53% reduction in county funding, resulting in fewer operating hours at every branch.
Due to the decline in funding, the Library Board has repeatedly discussed the possibility of closing the Hanna and Medicine Bow branches.
Both branches were originally slated to close in September. Each branch received a reprieve through grants from Rocky Mountain Power, the Wyoming Intertie Community Investment Program and from local contributions. The donations extended the tentative closing dates for both branches until next month.
Speaking at Tuesday’s town council meeting, Treasurer Ann Calvert said she believed that the Hanna Library was not going to be included in the centennial celebrations because of the impending closure.
Clerk Gonzales agreed, saying that Hanna and Medicine Bow representatives attended a previous Library Board meeting, prompting the two branches to be included in the event schedule. Councilman Sam Sikes recommended using the celebration money to continue funding the library.
Mayor Charlie George expressed frustration that the Library Board appeared to overlook the town when planning the centennial events.
Later in the meeting, the governing body returned to the topic of the town’s library. Mayor George said the council must decide how to proceed if the Library Board cuts funding for Hanna’s branch. The mayor said the town is already contributing more than it should for a service only available to public for a handful of hours each week.
The town also pays the full cost of water, sewer, and garbage service.
Treasurer Calvert again said that the library board was not going to include the town’s library in the centennial celebrations due to the planned closure. The treasurer added that she asked why the Hanna and Medicine Bow branches were not adequately funded under the current fiscal year’s budget but did not receive a definitive answer.
Treasurer Calvert said the Hanna Library appears destined to close if the town doesn’t assume ownership of the facility. Councilman David Felix said the Library Board has not given the town accurate operational costs or attendance figures, essential details the town would need if it were to take over the branch.
Mayor George said the unfortunate reality is that Hanna lost revenue from this year’s property tax relief bills passed by the Wyoming Legislature, leaving the town unable to fund the library.
Mayor George expressed his support for the town owning the library, but warned that the governing body must consider the financial impact before making any decision.
Treasurer Calvert said the town needs to know exactly how much money it costs to operate the library. This is the needed information that the Library Board has not provided.
Councilwoman Ellen Freeman said a Library Board representative attended a recent Carbon County Council of Governments meeting and reported to COG that labor makes up the most of the Library System’s spending. When pressed to use volunteers, Councilwoman Freeman said the Library Board representative resisted.
According to information provided by the Board of Carbon County Commissioners, staffing accounts for 79% of the Library System’s budget.
Mayor George said the governing body needs detailed financial information from the Library Board before deciding whether to assume ownership of the branch.
The Hanna Library’s 100th anniversary event is tomorrow, December 12th, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
