Rocky Mountain House council has approved a one-time grant of $23,000 to help cover a $46,000 shortfall at the Rocky Library, but long-term funding remains uncertain.

The emergency funding for 2025 will come from council’s priority reserve. The library will ask Clearwater County to provide the remaining $23,000 to fully offset this year’s shortfall.

Council is expected to discuss continued — and potentially increased — annual funding during its 2026 budget deliberations.

The funding issue stems from a recent change in provincial allocations. In a letter to council, board chair Lori Pratt said the library is facing an “unprecedented situation” after learning it will no longer receive $46,000 in provincial support. The grant, previously directed to the Rocky Library, will now go to the newly formed Clearwater County Library Board (CCLB) following the amalgamation of Clearwater County and the Village of Caroline.

Pratt said the Rocky Library is no longer eligible for the provincial funding because of a “structural change” in how grants are distributed. She said the board learned of the change only after finalizing its 2025 budget, leaving a significant gap for the remainder of the year. So far, she added, the new county library board has shown no interest in sharing the grant.

Pratt and library manager Ben Worth appeared before council on Nov. 18. They said the library will increase its annual funding request from the town and county to $434,600, up from $358,000 in 2025 — a 21.4 per cent increase — to compensate for the loss of provincial support.

Worth warned that without the additional funding, the library may be forced to cut programming or lay off staff. He said the library does have an emergency reserve, but relying on it would reduce the fund to about $9,000.

Deputy Mayor Dale Shippelt questioned whether the shift in provincial funding creates a “duplication of funding,” since the CCLB will now receive the provincial grant while many county residents continue to rely on services at the Rocky Library. Pratt said county residents will inevitably continue using the town library regardless of the funding structure.

Council also supported a motion from Coun. Ken Moesker to explore amalgamating the town and county library boards at an upcoming Intermunicipal Collaboration Committee (ICC) meeting.

In her letter, Pratt described the library as a community hub offering more than books, with access to computers, digital media, Wi-Fi and meeting spaces. She said public computer stations are heavily used for updating résumés, applying for jobs and completing certification requirements.