Questions swirl as library regulars worry about petition

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - There is uncertainty around the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library after an announcement that a petition will be on the November ballot that could cut the mills for county property tax from 2 mills to 1 mill.

This would cut the funding the library gets from the city and county in half from 3.8 million dollars to 1.8 million dollars a year.

Director Vanessa Adams said if funding is cut in half, they would be forced to close doors around the county.

“If we don’t get support, we will lose all of our country branches which include Caraway, Monette, Lake City, and Brookland, they will lose their branches,” Adams said.

Along with branches closing, Adams said there would be some major changes at the main Jonesboro branch.

“We also in this library will immediately cut our hours,” Adams said. “We will probably shut down on the weekends and cut or work week hours which means people will lose their jobs.”

Changing hours would really put a strain on Melissa Carlisle, the mother of three who goes to the library all the time so her kids can make friends along with the programs for her autistic son.

“It would hurt us a lot, my son wouldn’t be able to make any friends because he makes so many friends when he comes here,” Adams said. “I also get to talk to other parents too which helps so I get more resources with that.”

Director Adams said they average over 14,000 people a week in the Jonesboro library along with 3,000 at all their county libraries.

The petition will be on the November ballot for Craighead County residents to vote on.

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