BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — With an auditor warning that the Martin County Public Library’s cash has fallen from nearly $1 million to just $48,000 in six years, board members voted Monday to eliminate health insurance for seven employees — a painful step in their struggle to keep the library solvent.
During a special meeting focused on budget survival and an update from its auditor, the board first discussed amendments to its personnel policy, specifically the section on employee medical insurance.
“As it stands right now, we are paying 100% of medical insurance for seven employees,” chairman Maurise Mills said. “That equals about $6,500 or $7,000 a month. If we ever get back to the point that we can afford it, maybe we can go back then.”
On the advice of board member John R. Triplett, the board agreed to contact its insurance carrier, draft the policy amendments and schedule another special meeting to formally adopt the changes.
“We have a contract with Blue Cross-Blue Shield,” Triplett said. “So we need to know how we’re going to get out of that if we’re going to delete those benefits and have a meeting next week or as soon as we can.”
Mills said taking away employee insurance “isn’t something I take lightly.”
“Where do we as a board start rolling back dollars to be able to get through the budget year without having to go zero?” he asked. “I think there are other things that we’re going to have to look at, too.”
CPA Jim Bryant of Wells & Company in Paintsville presented the library’s audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. The report showed total revenues of $575,615, down from $619,322 the previous year. Total expenditures rose to $718,595 from $708,778. Salaries and wages increased by about $50,000 to $269,000.
“I believe there was your increase and two other individuals that received significant increases,” Bryant said to facilities director Kendra Fletcher.
Repairs and maintenance dropped to $25,915 from $49,000 the prior year. Utilities were down to $118,000 from $139,000 in 2023 and $164,000 in 2022.
“I’m seeing your utilities come down a little, but it’s still significantly more than it was at the other location,” Bryant noted.
The library ended the fiscal year with a fund balance of $316,102 — a decline of $142,980 from the previous year. Cash on hand fell to just $48,426, though the system still held a certificate of deposit valued at $326,016.
“2019 was the last year that you had an increase in cash,” Bryant said. “From 2018 to 2019, your cash increased from $881,000 to $914,000. But since 2019, cash has been steadily declining. In 2020, it was $753,000; in 2021 it was $563,000; in 2022 it was $286,000; in 2023 it was $198,000. This year it was $48,426.”
Bryant said the outlook for 2025 remained bleak.
“As of June 30, 2025, the CD is gone,” he said, noting that the library cashed it in to install a $223,500 chiller system. “Ever since you moved into this building, it’s been draining your cash. You all know the situation, and there isn’t much more that I can tell you. You’ve got to manage it, and we’ll see where it goes from here.”
In a later discussion, board member John R. Triplett raised the topic of the county’s application for an $875,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) community project. He said it could shift management responsibilities for the Roy F. Collier Community Center away from the library.
“In my opinion, there’s no place for the library board anymore once they get that. Because they’re going to be rich and we’re poor,” Triplett said. “We’re going to have to get into a situation where we turn over everything but the library to them to run. Whatever they’re going to do with the community center. I don’t know if they’re going to get $800,000 and some. But they seemed pretty confident that they’re going to get it. And it’s going to be managed by a different board, not us.”
Board member Barry Webb revealed that the grant application missed the deadline.
“I don’t think it’s coming this year,” he said. “We got it there too late. We got turned down because of the time getting it in. So that’s not going to happen until sometime next year, if it happens then.”
Triplett said that regardless of the grant’s status, the library board should no longer be responsible for the community center.
“We have to get that lined out,” he said.
Mills noted that transferring management would break the library’s lease agreement.
Triplett replied, “I know it’s going to change us one way or another. We have to get something managed. We are losing money every year, and most of it is just going into maintaining this facility.”
He said the water district plans to move its office out of the community center.
“There’s just not enough money to maintain this facility,” Triplett said. “So we’re going to have to make some adjustments or get some money from somewhere else.”
Webb asked whether, if awarded, the CDBG grant would go to the community center board rather than the library board. Triplett confirmed.
“So they would take care of the community center. Then the board that we’re on would just take what we’re getting to deal with the library,” Webb said. “So that would take off a big burden.”
Triplett said the library board could not continue to shoulder the cost.
“And we ain’t got the money for it, either,” he said.
“We will have taken care of it all of this time. So we’ve got to get some money back,” Triplett added.
Mills said, “There’s jargon in the lease for that. The lease stipulates that the RFCC board and this board are to meet once a year. They don’t have anybody to meet with.”