GREAT FALLS — Cascade County leaders are disputing a report that the county plans to phase out funding for the Great Falls Public Library.
The Cascade Courier recently reported that the county plans to phase out library funding by fiscal year 2027-28. Cascade County Commission Chair Jim Larson said that is not accurate.
"I would say that is not true," Larson said.
Tim McGonigal reports - watch the video here:
Through an interlocal agreement, Cascade County provides funding to county libraries and museums. For the Great Falls Public Library, that has amounted to $177,000 each of the past few years.
Cascade County gives the library in Belt $51,000 a year according to Larson. Larson says Wedsworth Community Library in Cascade gets just over $50,000 a year which includes the librarian salary.
Larson said the money is not mandatory, and he believes the confusion may stem from a May meeting with organization leaders — which happens every year — to discuss how to handle state money.
"Some of these programs are probably going to be looked at pretty hard. That's what the discussion was. But nothing about cutting anything," Larson said.
Great Falls Public Library Director Amy Dissmeyer echoed that characterization.
"The initial conversation we had was just to review and reestablish our interlocal agreement with the county, that provides for what services we provide to the county and what level of funding they support the library at," Dissmeyer said.
The agreement provides county residents with free access to the library and funds bookmobile services that reach rural communities.
When asked what would happen if county funding were ever to disappear, Dissmeyer said the outcome would be uncertain.
"That would be up for negotiation. We'd have to talk about that. I certainly hate to cut services, and I hate to even think about that. So, I don't want to speculate at this point what that would lead to," Dissmeyer said.
The library is a popular destination for Great Falls families, particularly during the summer. Sean Rockwell visits regularly with his soon-to-be fifth-grade daughter, Ashara.
"Which have been exploring different authors lately, and we're trying to get into, like her to read different, different genres," Rockwell said.
The library also runs a program called the "Library Loot Box", which gives kids a chance to win a gaming system by reading books.
Rockwell said the library plays a broader role in the community beyond books.
"It's very important because everybody uses it to come together. All the community events that they throw together are just phenomenal," Rockwell said.
This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
