Taxpayers on the hook for lawn care, fixing hinges at presidential libraries; Trump-led reforms aim to stop it
FIRST ON FOX: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is seeking to reform the funding structure for presidential libraries in an effort to reduce reliance on taxpayer funding for...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is seeking to reform the funding structure for presidential libraries in an effort to reduce reliance on taxpayer funding for operational costs and allow NARA to focus more on preserving and providing access to records. Fourteen presidential libraries fall under the National Archives system, and that number is expected to jump to 16 for presidential libraries dedicated to Trump and former President Joe Biden . While NARA and the presidential foundations have their own individual agreements outlining cost-sharing burdens for these presidential libraries, taxpayer funding is going toward maintenance costs, including mowing lawns, painting walls and cleaning toilets at nearly all these buildings, according to NARA. Additionally, the government contracting process for quick repairs like broken door hinges filters through an approval process in Washington and can take weeks or months to be addressed, the agency said. DEMOCRATIC DONORS RELUCTANT TO GIVE TO BIDEN'S PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY: REPORT As a result, NARA is in the process of negotiating with each presidential foundation on an individual basis so they can take greater ownership of the operational responsibilities for their specific library, Jim Byron, senior advisor to the archivist, told Fox News Digital. "Despite decades of well-intentioned oversight and stewardship of America’s presidential libraries by the National Archives, reality now dictates that operational changes can and should be made to ensure the long-term health of these American treasures," Byron said in a statement to Fox News Digital Monday. "Presidential libraries have grown in scope and purpose, and with that growth — and with anticipated future additions to the system — comes increased expenditures to be borne by the American taxpayers." NARA spends $91 million annually on presidential libraries from appropriations, and the deferred maintenance costs across the entire library…