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Library board’s cash balance drops; trustees take issue with Hall of Fame
BY LISA STAYTON MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Public Library District’s cash balance dropped significantly from $47,365 in June to $14,856 at the end of July, according to the district’s financial reports. The board of trustees met Monday evening and approved financial statements for both June and July without any discussion. The July…
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Thrive Community Coalition halts lease of former library amid financial concerns
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Eric Mills, founder of the Thrive Community Coalition, announced Tuesday that he will not proceed with leasing the former library facility in Inez. This decision follows a recent audit revealing financial difficulties within the Martin County Library Taxing District. Although the library board of trustees approved the lease…
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Library should be a library
The library needs to move out of the community center building and back into the library building. Why? Simple. The library cannot afford the upkeep of the community center building. The library moved into the Roy F. Collier Community Center in 2020. In 2019, the library finished the year with $914,000 in cash in the…
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Audit reveals library’s cash in bank ‘dwindling’
BY LISA STAYTON MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The latest audit of the Martin County Public Library Taxing District (MCPL) revealed that cash in the bank “is dwindling,” a downward trend that began in 2020 after relocating from the former library facility to the Collier Center in Inez. The MCPL board of trustees received the audit…
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Collier Center rolls out new chiller ahead of summer heat
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Public Library/Collier Center is experiencing a significant drop in temperature following the installation of a new air-conditioning system last week, library officials announced. During a special board meeting May 29, member Barry Webb provided an update from a representative of Elliott Contracting, the Pikeville-based company…
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Cooling system repairs will cost library about $160,500
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Public Library board held a special meeting Thursday at the Collier Center to address the financing needed for repairs to the library’s cooling system. Board Chairman Maurice Mills presented a cost estimate from Fire & Ice Heating, Cooling & Refrigeration, a company based in Nippa,…
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Library board reads budget
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN LOVELY — The Martin County Public Library board conducted the first reading of an $806,278 budget for the fiscal year 2024 during a meeting Monday at the Rufus Reed Library in Lovely. Board member John Triplett noted expenditures had increased. “Looks like about 60% of all your expenditures are more…