In response to an outpouring of support for the county’s five public libraries, the Potter County Board of Commissioners intends to restore the $10,000 funding cut for the Potter-Tioga County Library System that had been proposed in the county’s drafted 2025 operating budget. An official vote on the budget is scheduled for the commissioners’ year-end public business meeting at 11 am on Thursday, Dec. 26, in the Gunzburger Building Auditorium.

Among the major factors considered by the board was the ripple effect of a county funding cut, in that every dollar that is provided by the county is matched by the Commonwealth of Pa. In addition, all of the dozens of individuals and organizations who contacted the commissioners on the issue asked for reconsideration of the decrease, citing the importance of libraries in the vitality of their communities. The commissioners said they would seek reductions in other 2025 expenses to compensate for the additional library funding.