CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — City manager Peter Zanoni told 3NEWS on Thursday that the city council is developing alternative options to balance their budget after initially considering the closure of the Garcia Public Library.
The update is apparently a result of council feedback, which could include keeping the public space open on a reduced schedule.
"We have to operate within our financial means," Zanoni said. "Something has to be cut to reduce spending given our loss of property tax revenue. No matter what we cut, someone will be unhappy. The trade-off is you pay less in city property taxes."
3NEWS first reported that the Dr. Clotilde Garcia public library was facing the closing of its doors on Wednesday.
The cut would have meant the closing of the popular southside space in October.
Located on Brockhampton Street next to Kaffie Middle School, the closure would also have impacted the library's nine employees.
This was not a library board decision but rather a recommendation by city staff as each city department has been tasked with finding ways to cut their budgets by five percent.
For residents John and Sue Ellen Fry opening a book is an escape. Reading is a passion fulfilled by a trip to their neighborhood library.
"We live at the library, we're there at least once if not twice a week," Sue Ellen said.
When they heard the library was in danger of closing its doors, the couple reached out to 3NEWS 'Tell3' tip line.
"I know a lot of the older people will walk here, sit two to three hours, reading books and then go on home," she said.
The Garcia Library is one of six public libraries in the city.
If it's forced to shut its doors, the other options are not so close, according to Sue Ellen.
"We've got a huge retirement community around here that want to use the library, come to the library but now they'll have to drive across SPID to Flour Bluff or they can drive to the closest one which is Neyland off of Staples, that's not accessible," she said.
3NEWS learned the library and the nine employee positions there could be dissolved to make up for the city's budget shortfall. The cut would equate to about $648,000.
"Given the budget shortfall we've asked departments to look at their business, come up with a proposed five percent reduction," Assistant City Manager Sony Peronel said.
But why was this library selected?
It goes back to a partnership with CCISD when the library opened in 2009. Kaffie Middle School sits next door and students would share the library. However a year ago, CCISD canceled the contract.
"Last year in September in 2023, the school for obvious reasons in terms of security, decided to pull out of that agreement and move the school facilities and staff back into Kaffie Middle School," Director of Libraries Laura Garcia said.
While there is good utilization of the location, Garcia said there were also issues with the location becoming an after-school holding spot for kids waiting for mom and dad to pick them up, which made for a traffic mess.
"Parking is an issue for us especially after school and it does impact our operations, some of the things we looked at, obviously no one wants to reduce services to city residents," she said.
The good news is that the city plans to build a new Garcia Library to be centrally located between District 5 and District 3 on the southside.
However, that will ultimately be up to voters.
The design of a new library is slated to be part of the Bond 2024 projects.
"That's why we were exploring a new location as well as part of the land swap with CCISD," Peronel said.
As for those nine employees impacted by the proposed cut, the City said it will assist to help find them new positions within the City.
There are also input sessions on the 2025 budget the city will host to allow public input before a final decision is made.
The first session will be in District 1 on Monday, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Brewster Street Icehouse on N. Tancahua Street.
