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15 <br /> Libby McDaniel, an educator at Hillsborough Elementary School with 18 years of experience, <br /> described choosing to move to Hillsborough from a teaching position in Vietnam and taking a $20,000 <br /> annual pay cut to do so. Despite having substantial savings from teaching abroad and two incomes, she <br /> was unable to find affordable housing in the county for three years. She praised the broader OCS staff, <br /> including bus drivers, custodians, office staff, and instructional assistants. <br /> Robert DiDomenico said he is a local attorney and on the board for the Chapel Hill Public Library <br /> Foundation. He echoed some of the other concerns residents have raised tonight. He said the Chapel Hill <br /> Public Library is being cut, but it doesn't represent a big portion of the existing budget. He offered that <br /> the recommended library contribution of approximately $631,000 represents 0.19% of the total $325.1 <br /> million county budget,yet appeared to be absorbing 16.6% of the identified cuts. He said this disparity is <br /> unreasonable. <br /> Krysten Heberly, a Chapel Hill resident who moved to the county two years ago when her <br /> husband enrolled at LINC, described a period of severe health challenges that made leaving the house <br /> extremely difficult. She credited the Chapel Hill Public Library with her recovery, describing how regular <br /> visits, first to check out movies, then to write in sunlit areas, then to join clubs, gradually helped her <br /> regain mobility and social connection. She noted that she made friends with other young people with <br /> disabilities through the library. She acknowledged the need for some cuts but stated the proposed level <br /> of reduction was disproportionate and added that other locations are difficult to access for those <br /> without mobility. She asked the Board to fund both the library and teachers. <br /> Wilson Haworth, son of two NC public school teachers, stated that under current Orange County <br /> funding levels, his parents could not have afforded to raise him. He expressed love for the Chapel Hill <br /> Public Library as one of the most joyous spaces in Chapel Hill. He expressed disappointment that when <br /> budget cuts are needed, the first targets are teaching children and giving out free books. <br /> Karen Curtin examined the library funding numbers in detail. She noted that the total library <br /> services budget in the county's budget is approximately $3.7 million, of which the Chapel Hill Public <br /> Library has historically received just under 17%, or approximately $621,000. She expressed concern that <br /> the proposed budget would eliminate all county funding for that library over two years, despite 40% of <br /> Orange County residents living in Chapel Hill and approximately 15,000 active library cardholders living <br /> outside Chapel Hill's town limits who use the library. She warned that non-Chapel Hill residents would <br /> be required to pay for cards if the county discontinued support. She challenged the premise that <br /> opening the Southern Branch Library reduced usage of the Chapel Hill library, stating usage statistics <br /> remain unchanged. She noted the Chapel Hill Public Library was named one of the top 15 libraries in the <br /> country in 2024. She also challenged a figure in materials being distributed, stating the actual library <br /> budget is$4.2 million, not$3.49 million as listed. <br /> Susan Thananoparnen asked the Board not to decrease the funding to the Chapel Hill Public <br /> Library. She cited research on the epidemic of loneliness and political polarization and argued the <br /> Chapel Hill Public Library combats both. She noted that friends from rural Orange County and Carrboro <br /> are frequent library visitors and stated that the Chapel Hill Library is one of the things she is most proud <br /> of in our community. She asked the Board to retain full funding for the library, noting that residents <br /> across Orange County pay county taxes and depend on it. <br /> Lyndi Schilling said she has volunteered with the Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library for a <br /> year. She described the library's active weekend use from her experience volunteering on Saturdays. She <br /> observed at least 50 college students studying on any given Saturday, along with high school and middle <br /> school students using study rooms, and young families browsing and purchasing books. She warned that <br /> reduced hours would eliminate the Friends' large book sales, which serve parents, children, teachers, <br /> and seniors. She opposed any proposal to charge for study room use. <br /> David Remington, a 25-year Orange County resident, opened with a personal anecdote about an <br /> African American hairstylist who had to commute from Alamance County, telling him, "They don't want <br />