The Grant County Library on May 15, 2025. The first of two public hearings required by Oregon Law before a public library can be shuttered begin on Tuesday, July 22 at Trowbridge Pavilion.

First of two required public hearings before library can be shuttered

JOHN DAY — The first of two public hearings that could decide the fate of the Grant County Library will take place on Tuesday, July 22, at Trowbridge Pavilion at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

The Grant County Court was working to reconcile a $1.5 million budget shortfall and identified the library as an entity that could be cut.

According to state law, the library cannot be closed without two public hearings at least 90 days apart. The meetings must be noticed in a newspaper of record for two successive weeks at least 30 days prior to the first hearing.

The Save our Library Committee was hastily formed in the wake of the county voicing intentions to possibly defund the library. The committee has been brainstorming ways to save the library since its first meeting June 18.

Save our Library Committee member David Kebler said the committee has 36 members on its email list. Among those, about 15-20 are active members, according to Kebler.

Chief among the ideas to save the library is the creation of a special library district, which the group stresses will not levee additional taxes on Grant County residents. Instead, taxes collected from existing special districts would be redistributed to include the Grant County Library.

The library’s budget is $239,438 for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Grant County has three special districts, according to documents from the Grant County Assessor’s Office.

The Blue Mountain Hospital, John Day/Canyon City Parks and Recreation and Oregon State University Extension & 4H Special Districts collected $1,970,182.91 in taxes during the 2024-25 fiscal year. Defining the special district’s boundaries, developing a service plan and budget and preparing legal documents are a few of the steps necessary prior to the creation of a special taxing district.

At the committee’s July 16 meeting, Grant County Library Director Chris Ostberg reiterated that a high turnout at the July 22 meeting will be crucial in showing the county the library has support.

Kebler echoed that sentiment.

“What I hope is that a lot of people show up, more than 50 people,” he said. “That would be a statement to the court.”

Grant County Judge Jim Hamsher said he’s going to keep an open mind during testimony at the hearing.

“I’m hoping to see testimony both in favor of and against (the library),” he said.

The second of those two hearings will take place on Oct 21 at Trowbridge Pavilion at 6 p.m.