League City City Council to consider library card fee for non-Galveston County residents
Published: Tue, 01/09/24
League City City Council to consider library card fee for non-Galveston County residents
By Rachel Leland
Community Impact
League City City Council will consider asking nonresidents who use Helen Hall Library services to share the cost burden. (Courtesy Helen Hall Library)
With League City’s Helen Hall Library’s operational costs increasing, the city is considering requiring residents who live outside of Galveston County to pay for using the library.
The gist
At League City City Council’s Jan. 9 meeting, council members will consider requiring non-Galveston County residents to pay an annual $180 fee for a Helen Hall Library card, which, if approved, would be effective March 4, according to agenda documents.
The fee would cover the library’s overhead, including materials, programming, new cards and software, according to agenda documents.
League City and Galveston County residents, as well as League City employees and their immediate families, would not be required to pay the fee.
Helen Hall Library users. (see chart here). While the majority of library users are residents, Hellen Hall Library has a significant number of nonresident patrons.
Resident= 11,077
Nonresident = 6019
Nonresident = 6019
By the numbers
The $180 fee is larger than what other Texas libraries charge nonresidents.
For example, the city of Beaumont only charges an annual $25 fee to nonresident library users, according to agenda documents. Libraries in Pearland, Galveston and Baytown do not charge any fee, regardless of residency.
Those opposed
Anyone who wishes to contest the fee can appeal directly to League City City Manager John Baumgartner, whose contact information is available on League City’s website.
Those opposed