Letter to the Editor
Editor,
This issue is about money and power and the after-effects of a botched amalgamation.
Without Sydenham’s tax dollars Meaford would not have a refurbished town hall or a new library building. Without amalgamation Owen Sound library would not be fighting Meaford for Sydenham tax dollars. For many years Sydenham alone was able to fund its library usage.
Now Meaford claims Owen Sound is inflating user numbers and refusing to provide details of library card holders usage. Owen Sound claims library usage is actually higher than the provided number of card holders because multiple persons often borrow on the same card, and that providing card holders’ names and addresses is confidential information requiring signed release.
Owen Sound also claims the amount charged Meaford (for Sydenham) is the same as that charged the other union partners who are not complaining or challenging Owen Sounds card holder numbers. To agree to a lower amount for all of Meaford would be unfair to the other partners (Owen Sound, Chatsworth, Georgian Bluffs). Fair enough.
Caught in the painful middle are we residents of Sydenham who simply love to read, value the geographical proximity of OSNGUPL with which we have developed a relationship and are offended by being told to drive 3o km farther to another library because that library needs our proportion of tax dollars to build a new library which is too far to be a reasonable alternative for us – ever!
I don’t know how this will end. In Owen Sound I’m told to speak to Meaford Library board and Council. Meaford says talk to OSNGUPL about unreasonable non-resident fees.
Frankly, I don’t believe anyone’s listening.
Why my almost $10,000 annual tax bill cannot buy me what I believe to be about $100.00 for an annual library card is beyond my understanding.
Jean Koroway, Annan
