With League City’s Helen Hall Library’s operational costs increasing, the city is considering requiring residents who live outside of Galveston County to pay for using the library.

The gist

At League City City Council’s Jan. 9 meeting, council members will consider requiring non-Galveston County residents to pay an annual $180 fee for a Helen Hall Library card, which, if approved, would be effective March 4, according to agenda documents.

The fee would cover the library’s overhead, including materials, programming, new cards and software, according to agenda documents.

League City and Galveston County residents, as well as League City employees and their immediate families, would not be required to pay the fee.


By the numbers

The $180 fee is larger than what other Texas libraries charge nonresidents.

For example, the city of Beaumont only charges an annual $25 fee to nonresident library users, according to agenda documents. Libraries in Pearland, Galveston and Baytown do not charge any fee, regardless of residency.

Those opposed
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Anyone who wishes to contest the fee can appeal directly to League City City Manager John Baumgartner, whose contact information is available on League City’s website.