Lyon County commissioners approved a preliminary levy on Sept. 15, and that budget included $306,000 for the Marshall-Lyon County Library agreement. This is a 25% reduction from last year but $106,000 more than the current contract requires. The county also decreased the budget for other organizations such as the Lyon County Historical Society by 50%. However, the library had request a 6.8% increase at the original budget.
The library has reworked its budget based on contributions from Lyon County and the City of Marshall. The reworked budget, including not filling some open positions, still leaves the library short $82,033 for 2027. Concerns from the library board were that $33,000 would be needed for the Cottonwood and Balaton libraries.
According to the Marshall-Lyon County Library agreement entered into between Lyon County, the City of Marshall and the library board in October 2014, the County shall provide no less than $200,000 per year to the Marshall-Lyon County Library. The City of Marshall provides support of the Marshall-Lyon County Library in an amount that is at least equal to twice the County’s annual funding amount per the agreement. For 2027, the library board has requested $880,576 from the City of Marshall.
The Marshall-Lyon County Library is a member of the Regional Library System and provides library services in the communities of Balaton and Cottonwood. Per the agreement, the Marshall-Lyon County Library is responsible to continue operation and maintenance of the library services in the communities of Cottonwood and Balaton. Hours of operation for library services for the citizens of each community shall be no less than 20 hours per week.
Lyon County Administrator Loren Stomberg presented a resolution to the Lyon County Commissioners during the board meeting Tuesday. The resolution called for the additional commitment of one additional dollar for every two dollars the City of Marshall commits in excess of $880,576 to a maximum of $27,333. Stomberg indicated they would find the $27,333 in the current budget.
Discussion varied widely from commissioners on the proposal and the future of the library agreement. Board Chair Todd Draper reiterated that the agreement between the entities requires the Balaton and Cottonwood libraries be staffed at 20 hours per week.
Commissioner Tom Andries disagreed with additional funding for the library.
“We gave them $306,000. As far as I’m concerned, that’s too much,” Andries said. “I am not in favor of adding any more.”
Commissioner Rick Anderson said that last thing the board wanted to do was create an image that the board is against libraries in general.
“We want the five libraries (in the county) to still be able to work together. I think in conversation, we know this agreement will probably go away. And we will probably look at dividing out the MOE (Memorandum of Understanding) somehow. The issues get to be what has to happen in the short time if the contract is nullified. Where the service area has to be, what the cities have to do to get back as a registered library. I would hope with the resolution, if the City of Marshall goes along with it, that this would get us through the one-year contract that would get us where the five libraries can sit down, or at least the three libraries can sit down and we can figure out how we’re going to do this.”
The resolution works, Anderson said, as long as the City of Marshall gets on board with it. Libraries will now have time to meet and figure out the next step.
The contract requires the County to present its commitment amount with a resolution to the library board by Nov. 15. After much discussion and with the absence of Commissioner Paul Graupman, the board tabled the resolution until the Nov. 3, 2026 meeting.
In other board news …
• The board approved a conditional use permit for a new feedlot for Dylan Anderson.
• The board approved the hiring of Gabriel Figueroa as full time jail administrator, effective Aug. 21, 2026, with an annual salary of $100,000.
