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Funding In Trouble For Rural Libraries In Pennington County

Associated Press0

WALL, S.D. (AP) — Rural libraries in western South Dakota’s Pennington County could see a major cut to their funding.

County Auditor Julie Pearson tells the Rapid City Journal ( ) that county library services have had a yearly deficit as high as $40,000. She says the deficit has been made up through library cash reserves, but she says those will be depleted by 2017.

County contracts with Wall, Keystone and Hill City expire at the end of the year. The County Commission will have to decide whether to cut funding to rural libraries or pursue a tax increase to maintain services.

Wall Community Library director Theresa Schaefer says county funding of roughly $16,000 makes up about half of her budget.

Library services spending was approved by rural Pennington County voters in 1998.

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Information from: Rapid City Journal,

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