When La Plata County commissioners take public comment on the 2015 budget this week, Paris Kindall and some like-minded residents will be there – the latter by proxy.
Paris, 11, a fifth-grader at Sunnyside Elementary School, will deliver petitions with about 100 signatures to make a case for keeping satellite libraries open at Fort Lewis Mesa and Sunnyside elementary schools.
The continued existence of the libraries is in danger as commissioners, with a tight budget, are questioning whether they can afford the $113,000 annual cost of operating the libraries where circulation and reference requests are up over the past decade.
“The libraries are important to the community,” Paris said in a telephone interview. “I do research for my classes, and I check out books.”
Last week, Paris distributed a half-dozen petitions at such places as a health food store and an auto dealership. Brother Noah DeDear took a petition to Durango High School.
The commissioners meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the meeting room at the county building, 1060 East Second Ave.
daler@durangoherald.com
