Letter to Grant County Court (Final, 7/9/25)

Link to PDF document that was submitted.

Save Our Library – Grant County Oregon Committee
gcorlibrary@gmail.com
www.gcorlibrary.org
July 7, 2025

Hon. Judge Jim Hamsher
John Rowell, County Commissioner
Mitch Wilson, County Commissioner
201 S Humbolt Street
Suite 280
Canyon City, OR 97820

Re: Questions to the County Court regarding the defunding of the Grant County Library.

Dear Grant County Court Members,

We are writing to you as members of the Save Our Library – Grant County Oregon Committee with
several important questions that we believe are essential in helping us develop a clear and constructive
plan moving forward. Without clarity from the Court on these matters, it is difficult for us to determine
the best course of action. We respectfully request a response to the following questions:

  1. Do you intend to honor the budget that you adopted on May 14th, 2025, during the County Budget Committee meeting to fund the library through the end of June 2026?
    If not, is your intention to defund the library immediately following the second public hearing on October 22, 2025, or continue funding in a reduced manner? If so, what would the effects be from that reduced budget? We ask these questions because the earliest we can get a special library district measure placed on the ballot is May 2026, and the earliest funds from a successful measure that would be available is November 2026.

  2. If the library is defunded immediately following the last public meeting, will you allow us to retain its contents (books, furniture, electronics, etc.) and permit it to continue operating at its current location even if we do not yet have the funds to resume operations?

  3. If your final decision is to abolish or withdraw county support from the public library, what is this court’s intent regarding the building and land the library occupies?

Answers to these questions will help us prepare for the upcoming Public Hearings. We appreciate your
attention to these questions and look forward to your response.

Respectfully,
Save Our Library – Grant County Oregon Committee