Bemidji fights for its libraries at raucous meeting as County Board slashes budget

BEMIDJI - Chants of “shame” filled the Beltrami County Board room as more than 100 residents packed inside, spilling out into the hallway Tuesday to fight for their local libraries.

Commissioners proposed slashing library funding nearly in half. It’s a story now all too familiar in Bemidji when three years ago community blowback halted a similar proposal.

But the board was full speed ahead this time. Chair Craig Gaasvig repeatedly said the public comment period couldn’t be used to address the preliminary budget on the agenda, but residents refused to stay silent.

In the raucous meeting, they lined up to share stories of how the library is a lifeline, a place to print résumés and for teachers to meet with homeless students. Where the elderly and less privileged connect to the internet and kids discover a love of reading. They pleaded for more time and careful consideration.

“Why are you here if you’re not going to respond to us?” said Amanda Gartner, accompanied by her two young children. She reached out to all commissioners and only heard back from one, Joe Gould, a social studies teacher in nearby Cass Lake.

Gould said he couldn’t possibly support library funding cuts. He made motions to table a decision and find other cuts, but none of his four colleagues joined him. Instead, the cuts moved closer to reality after years of Gaasvig, Commissioner Tim Sumner and Administrator Tom Barry pushing to reduce costs, citing unfunded state mandates and a small tax base.

City, county and state officials in Bemidji often complain that despite being the third largest, and poorest, county in the state, more than 75% of Beltrami County is tax exempt. It’s home to the state’s largest lakes (Upper and Lower Red Lake), significant state and federal land holdings, and the majority of the Red Lake reservation, not subject to local property taxes.

The board will finalize its 2026 budget in December. As it stands, the county cut 42% or $175,000 from libraries in Bemidji and Blackduck, a tiny town 25 miles to the north, as well as $8,000 to local transportation service Paul Bunyan Transit.

Both libraries are part of the Kitchigami Regional Library System comprised of five northern Minnesota counties.

Crow Wing recently approved a 3% increase to its library, which is the same increase Bemidji and Blackduck requested.

Barry said Beltrami County provides more library funding ($438,000) than the state’s mandated minimum ($265,000).

But residents on Tuesday said cutting essential services that people rely on like the library and public transit isn’t the way to do it. Some feel the decisions are more political than financial.

The preliminary budget also cuts the county’s $7,500 allocation to the Beltrami County Historical Society, a nonprofit with one full-time staffer.

Emily Thabes, the museum’s executive director, said the funding is close to 8% of its operating budget yet represents less than 0.01% of the county’s $100 million budget.

“Museums, libraries, public transportation — these kinds of services are critical to growing a community,” she said. “When we’re not willing to contribute this little amount ... then who are we? Who do we want to be? It seems to me like we don’t want to be a community at all.”

Thabes added that this is a critical moment in history when grants and history are being erased at a federal level. President Donald Trump wants to gut the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“Our administration is attacking museums and their truths. It would be my hope that our local community governments would stand up to show greater support for our historical societies and our libraries, rather than less support,” she said.

Gaasvig said that “people who are here could volunteer.” The audience erupted in boos and shouting.

The blowback directed at Gaasvig followed earlier comments he made when being criticized for not responding to calls and emails. He told the audience, “Some of us actually do have jobs.”

Gould said he teaches full time and still replies to emails. He said numbers don’t lie and listed off data points: Nearly 14,000 residents have a library card. Last year Bemidji checked out nearly 100,000 items and 6,800 in Blackduck. More than 6,500 kids attended children programming last year.

“The budget’s OK for this year. It’s true we’re going to struggle with the federal and state support two years from now,” he said. “I think we can cross that bridge when we get there.”

After the meeting and when the crowd dispersed, Gaasvig hurried to his pickup truck and at first declined to respond to questions. He said he was too busy, but then explained that everything is “strictly financial.”

Gaasvig said people are on fixed incomes and can’t afford property tax increases. But when asked about those financially struggling the most who rely on the library and bus, Gaasvig said, “It’s unfortunate.”

The blowback is a “concerted effort by certain people,” he said. “I actually have text messages and stuff from people who are happy we’re making these cuts ... because they understand we’re in between a rock and a hard place.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of emails and calls flood Gould’s inbox and voicemail.

Randall Burg, a retired assistant county attorney, quoted Walter Cronkite in his messages to commissioners: “Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”

He said after the county suffered a national disaster with the recent hurricane-force storm in June, the county should not suffer a self-inflicted disaster to civic life with the budget cuts.