Hernando County commissioners will decide whether to reopen the West Hernando Branch Library or let its temporary closure become permanent, as officials look for ways to bring spending in line with expected property tax revenue.
County staff listed the permanent closure as one of several potential budget cuts. The West Branch, formally the Staffordene T. Foggia Memorial Library, has been shut since May 11 due to air-conditioning problems. It has operated since 1985. Closing it for good would shrink the county’s library system from four branches to three.
The proposal follows scrutiny commissioners raised last month over a Library Strategic Master Plan presented June 23 by St. Petersburg-based consulting firm Kimley-Horn and Associates. The plan called for improved programming, better use of existing facilities, and pursuit of outside funding sources such as grants and public-private partnerships, rather than continued reliance on county dollars.
Consultants told commissioners the county’s four branches place most residents within about a 15-minute drive of a library, and that overall usage has grown over the past decade despite a shift toward digital materials.
Several commissioners pressed for more rigorous numbers behind those claims. District 3 Commissioner John Allocco asked how many unique individuals actually use the library system, rather than relying on total visit counts that could reflect repeat visits by the same patrons. He also asked how many services could be delivered more efficiently online, and questioned whether the public survey underlying the plan reflected the broader county population or mainly current library users.
County staff acknowledged that the reported figure of roughly 17,000 monthly visits does not distinguish between individual patrons and repeat visitors.
By the numbers, the West Branch is the system’s largest facility, accounting for 13,076 of the system’s 40,255 total square feet, and about a quarter of its annual public service hours before closing. In 2024, it hosted 258 in-person programs drawing about 5,770 attendees, roughly 27% of the system’s in-person programs and 22% of total attendance. Consultants noted the library system overall consumes less than 1.9% of the county’s total budget. The master plan did not analyze how a permanent closure would affect drive times or service demand at the remaining three branches.
Allocco said he supports libraries but said commissioners must weigh how to allocate limited county resources responsibly. Kimley-Horn consultant David Thayer told commissioners demand for library services isn’t declining even as usage patterns shift.
Residents opposing the closure, including longtime area resident Ashley Stump and 12-year-old Emma Long, say the branch provides computer and internet access, study space and children’s programming that surrounding families rely on, particularly for students taking online classes. A community group has organized letters and children’s drawings to present to commissioners Thursday.
The library item is expected to come up later in the day during Thursday’s county budget workshop, where commissioners must weigh the potential savings against the loss of the county’s largest library facility and a key access point for western Hernando County.
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