Thursday, April 16, 2026 |
Photo – Hanna Library – Bigfoot99 file photo
Hanna officials voted to maintain the existing arrangement with the library system after learning the town’s branch is not planned to close as early as expected.
Counties and municipalities rely on property taxes to fund basic services such as law enforcement and road maintenance. Last year’s residential property tax relief programs cut local government revenue across the state, with Carbon County reportedly losing more than $900,000 in the 2025 through 2026 fiscal year. The Board of Carbon County Commissioners responded by lowering the county’s financial contributions for all outside services, including museums, senior centers, and libraries.
The Carbon County Library System saw its county funding reduced by 53 percent. After the cut, library board members asked municipalities for donations to help cover operating costs. While most towns already provide water, sewer, and snow removal to their branches, library board chairwoman Addie Myers said the contributions don’t actually affect the library system’s budget. Building maintenance is the county’s responsibility, as the county owns most of the library buildings.
In an effort to keep every branch open as long as possible, the Carbon County Library Board reduced hours of operation across the system. Underperforming branches such as Hanna and Medicine Bow were scheduled to close last November, but last-minute grants and donations kept them operating longer than expected. The Medicine Bow Library is funded through next March, while Hanna’s branch, which is open for twice as many hours, was projected to run out of money this May.
Last month, Bigfoot99 reported that the Hanna Town Council was asked to contribute more money to the town’s library. However, without updated usage data and current operational costs, the governing body was unwilling to commit additional funding to the branch.
The matter was discussed again during the April 14th Hanna Town Council meeting. Library board chairwoman Addie Myers apologized for not providing the governing body with the requested information earlier, saying she’s been extremely busy. After reviewing the up-to-date traffic data and operational costs, Myers said she, Mayor Charlie George, and interim library system director Jenita Calton discussed ways to keep the town’s library open, including moving it to another location to reduce the county’s financial burden.
The county covers electricity and building maintenance, while the Town of Hanna donates water, sewer, gas, and garbage service. Myers said she was unsure of the branch’s electricity costs because she was unable to secure a copy of the latest statement.
While she searches for a recent electricity bill, Myers said she’ll continue developing new ideas to preserve the town’s access to the county library system. However, the library board chairwoman was unwilling to detail her plans, saying she does not intend to change how the system operates without first speaking to the public.
Due to careful budgeting, Myers said last year’s grants and donations will keep the Hanna branch funded through November rather than May. She said cutting hours could stretch the money further, but that decision belongs to the people who use the library.
Myers said that compared with the county’s six other branches, Hanna sees relatively few visitors. With the highest cost per user in the entire system, the library board chairwoman urged residents to show their support by using the branch.
Statistics from the Carbon County Library System show that from July 2025 through January 2026, the Hanna branch recorded 484 visits, the fewest in the county. Even Medicine Bow, with less than a third of Hanna’s population, logged 569 visits in the same period.
Myers said the library board is trying to think outside the box as it works under a significantly reduced budget. One change is the selection of a new permanent library system director. Myers said the unnamed candidate is coming from Alaska and has experience managing services in rural communities.
Jenita Calton began serving as interim library director in November after Maria Wenzel stepped down from the position the previous month.
If libraries close or reduce hours further, the library system will install book lockers in the affected towns. While not a perfect solution, Myers said the lock-box setup will allow residents to check out books without traveling to the Rawlins branch. The library board chairwoman said the lockers are another way the system can continue serving residents despite the reduced budget.
Even if the Hanna Library closes, Myers said residents will remain part of the county system and can continue using the other branches.
Later in the meeting, the town council was presented with a memorandum of understanding from the Carbon County Library System. Mayor Charlie George explained that the agreement has the town continuing to provide water, sewer, gas, and garbage service for the library through November. In the meantime, the town can always revisit the MOU to make any needed changes.
The Hanna Town Council unanimously voted to approve the MOU with the Carbon County Library System. Mayor George said if Myers provides the Hanna Library’s electricity usage before July, the governing body will look for ways to increase its annual contribution during upcoming budget-setting meetings. Myers said she will continue to search for grants to keep the Hanna branch open as long as possible.
