By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer
The Laurel County Fiscal Court heard a report on the status of the Laurel County Library this week, and a warning that the local office of the U.S. Postal Service may be affected by a move to consolidate mail processing at the Lexington office.
Gary Fox and Henry Smith, both representatives of Postal Service employee groups, told the court that the consolidation will not only slow down mail posted in the London office, but also cut several jobs in the office.
They urged the court to do what it can to oppose the consolidation and retain faster mail service and jobs at the London site.
Judge-Executive Lawrence Kuhl agreed with the representatives and asked the magistrates to join him in an attempt to keep the processing service and the jobs it represents.
Following that, Lori Acton, Laurel librarian, and R.W. Dyche III, trustee president, gave a report on the status of the Laurel County Public Library.
They reported that in less than 20 years, the library system in the county has progressed from circulating 100,000 items in 1990 to a circulation of 532,560 items in 2008.
That number is 100,000 items more than the total circulation of all libraries in Whitley, Knox, Clay, Jackson, Harlan, Bell and Rockcastle counties.
The increase represents five years of growth since the library moved from its Fourth Street location in 2003 for an increase of 400 percent, they said.
Laurel’s library is 12th in the state for library attendance and 256,263 people visited the library last year, their report said.
Its book collection is the 10th largest in the state, and more than 44,000 library cards have been issued.
Responding to a question of why the library tax has increased this year, Dyche said the library board chose the lowest tax rate it can by law.
He said the library must choose each year between two pre-determined tax rates set by the state.
Libraries, he said, may not legally set a tax rate that will generate less revenue than the previous year.
This year, personal property assessments in Laurel County declined by $16 million.
That change, he said, gave the board the choice of setting the rate that would generate the same income from the previous year and increase the tax amount for each $50,000 worth of property by $3.50. The next choice, a four percent increase in the tax rate, would have increased the tax by $5. The board chose the lower amount, he said.
In other business, the court agreed to fund the upgrading of the East Bernstadt Fire Station for use as a voting site.
The station will be improved for handicapped access at a cost of $12,774.
The magistrates approved acceptance of a grant that would provide $10,000 for the biennial purchase of a new chassis for ambulances used by the Laurel County Ambulance Service.
The court approved providing $750 for a pauper funeral.
Kuhl also recommended promoting jobs with the census bureau.
Informational meetings and testing for the jobs will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Laurel County Public Library and 10 a.m. Friday at the Laurel Courthouse community room.
The court also approved giving Kuhl the option to set bond rates for incoming constables after the next election.
Sheriff Fred Yaden presented his next budget for review by the court for approval at the December meeting.
Tom Baker III, son of second district magistrate Tom Baker, was approved for appointment as a commissioner for Laurel Water District Number Two and Dennis Minton was reappointed as a commissioner for East Laurel Water District.
