MONROE - New Glarus residents proved Tuesday that it is possible to fight city hall.
After the New Glarus Village Board proposed charging the library about $10,000 for rent each year, residents attended Tuesday's budget hearing meeting to voice their support for the library and request the board change its mind.
The board listened, and decided not to charge the library rent for the space it uses in the village hall.
Library board President Barb Anderson said she was "relieved" the board changed its mind.
"I had almost resigned myself to the idea that they (the village board members) would vote to charge us rent."
Anderson said a large crowd came to the board meeting to speak in support of the library.
Board member Lloyd Lueschow said the board was concerned that if it charged the library rent, the library would lose its association with the South Central Library System, which requires libraries to show a certain level of support from their municipalities.
Instead, the board cut money from a proposed park located along Wisconsin 69. Lueschow said there hasn't been any development of the park and the board decided development could be postponed for a while.
Anderson said she was worried about what would happen if the board decided to charge rent to the library.
"We're not a taxing entity," she said. The library does charge fines for overdue books, but the amount collected from fines certainly wouldn't have been enough to cover rent, she said. The goal is to have patrons return their books on time, she added.
She hopes the village and the New Glarus township board can work together to come up with ways to share funding for the library.
Owen said people who live outside of the village use the library and in the past the village board has tried to work out agreements with New Glarus township to help pay for the library. No agreements have ever been finalized, he added.
According to library reports, in 2007, more than 48,000 visited the library; there were 85 special events during the year, such as story times and book discussions, which attracted about 1,500 people to the library. In addition, more than 78,000 items were checked out from the library during 2007.
After the New Glarus Village Board proposed charging the library about $10,000 for rent each year, residents attended Tuesday's budget hearing meeting to voice their support for the library and request the board change its mind.
The board listened, and decided not to charge the library rent for the space it uses in the village hall.
Library board President Barb Anderson said she was "relieved" the board changed its mind.
"I had almost resigned myself to the idea that they (the village board members) would vote to charge us rent."
Anderson said a large crowd came to the board meeting to speak in support of the library.
Board member Lloyd Lueschow said the board was concerned that if it charged the library rent, the library would lose its association with the South Central Library System, which requires libraries to show a certain level of support from their municipalities.
Instead, the board cut money from a proposed park located along Wisconsin 69. Lueschow said there hasn't been any development of the park and the board decided development could be postponed for a while.
Anderson said she was worried about what would happen if the board decided to charge rent to the library.
"We're not a taxing entity," she said. The library does charge fines for overdue books, but the amount collected from fines certainly wouldn't have been enough to cover rent, she said. The goal is to have patrons return their books on time, she added.
She hopes the village and the New Glarus township board can work together to come up with ways to share funding for the library.
Owen said people who live outside of the village use the library and in the past the village board has tried to work out agreements with New Glarus township to help pay for the library. No agreements have ever been finalized, he added.
According to library reports, in 2007, more than 48,000 visited the library; there were 85 special events during the year, such as story times and book discussions, which attracted about 1,500 people to the library. In addition, more than 78,000 items were checked out from the library during 2007.