As Macon County weighs whether to leave the Fontana Regional Library System, FRL trustees continue to push for policy changes that would require taxpayer dollars for attorney review.
Such was the case during the Sept. 14 meeting at the Macon County Public Library, where Board Chair Bill McGaha recommended exploring a change to how overdue fees for books and other items are handled.
Such fees have accumulated over the last decade and a half, McGaha said, to the tune of over $200,000. This is a common issue for libraries nationwide. While the chair argued for a policy that would prioritize accountability, some systems have gone the other direction. Wake and Mecklenburg counties in North Carolina have done away with fines altogether. Others have instated amnesty programs, which supporters aver promotes the return of long-overdue items and increased library usage.
The different paradigms led to a debate between McGaha and Trustee Justin Greene, appointed to the board to represent Swain County after former Trustee Cynthia Womble left at the beginning of July.
