An Essex town councillor is questioning Essex county council.
Randy Voakes wants to know why the county decided to put the savings from the ongoing library strike into reserves instead of returning it back to each municipality.
He says a number of councillors across the region including himself have asked the county to return the money.
Voakes says the savings should be returned to each Essex County municipality.
"We're in budget deliberations in the town of Essex right now and every penny counts and if I could get that money and get it back to the town residents and when they need the money, we'll start re-forwarding the money to them again. It's our money, that's my money as a taxpayer and in simplicity, I want it back," says Voakes.
As reported on AM800 news this morning, a $790,000 surplus has been built up due to the strike.
During budget deliberations, Leamington Mayor John Paterson questioned if the money could be returned to each municipality instead but didn't make a motion to that effect.