Volunteer-run Lone Oak Public Library asks Hunt County for $200-a-month boost to cover insurance and utilities

Susie, director of the Lone Oak Public Library, asked the Hunt County Commissioners Court Aug. 12 for an increase in county allotment equal to $200 per month to help the small volunteer-run library cover rising insurance and electricity costs.

“We're kinda little bit different. We own our own library. We're not owned by the city of Lone Oak,” Susie told commissioners. She said the library is staffed by volunteers, offers free library cards, runs a pre-K program and summer reading programs, and recorded 2,298 visits last year. Susie said the library currently has about eight pre-K children in its program, a playground built by Eagle Scout projects and an air-conditioner problem that has limited office use.

Susie asked, “Could you possibly give us $200 more a month? That would help.” A commissioner responded, “I bet we can find that,” and officers discussed higher commercial electricity rates because the library is served on a commercial tariff despite nonprofit status; Susie said the electric provider would not lower the commercial rate.

Court action and context

The court did not vote on the request at the meeting; commissioners asked clarifying questions about the library’s nonprofit status, service usage and whether the library had approached the power company. The judge and commissioners expressed appreciation for the library’s services and signaled willingness to seek the modest additional allotment.

Why this matters

The Lone Oak Public Library provides free services to a low-income community, including public computer access, pre-K programming and a summer reading program. A small county allotment would be used to cover basic operating costs such as insurance and electricity that the director said have risen substantially.