The Emma S. Clark Memorial Library has proposed a 2012 tax appropriation of $4,638,844, which represents about a 3 percent increase over the 2011 tax appropriation.
Library director Ted Gutmann described the proposed budget as one which largely preserves existing programs and services while controlling personnel costs, even as the library faces drastic increases in costs such as employee benefits and mandated Social Security and retirement contributions.
"We’re trying to put forward a budget that we think is going to maintain services," he said in an interview on Friday. "Internally we’re looking at ways to cut costs or shift resources so that long term we won’t have problems, even if we do get hit with external increases like the mandated benefit."
Find out what's happening in Three Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The community will have the chance to learn more at a community budget meeting on Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The budget vote is Sept. 21 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the library.
The proposed budget maintains the same level of spending on programs for children, teens, and adults, as well as for new equipment and software. It contains small decreases in funding for books, audio books, periodicals, movies, and other components of the general collection, as well as decreases in spending on computer maintenance, administrative costs, and some utilities.
Find out what's happening in Three Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Total spending on employee salaries will decrease because the administration did not replace two full-time positions that had opened up, including the assistant director position.
Built into the proposed budget is money earmarked for improvements to the library's parking lot. Gutmann said the library is currently seeking contractor bids to re-seal the pavement and repair the dip surrounding the drain in front of the handicap parking spaces.
Gutmann estimated that taxes would increase by about $15 per household. In 2011, he said, the average household paid $330 in library taxes. was approved by a tally of 293 to 55.
Should the budget be voted down, the library would likely be forced to operate on the same tax appropriation as it had in 2011, which would then necessitate cuts in other areas to accommodate the increases the library will see in social security, retirement, and other costs. But Gutmann, who has been with the library since 2004, can't remember the last time the budget was voted down.
"The library here is an institution," he said. "It’s always been well supported by the community. I think they’re proud of the library."
2011 2012 (Proposed) Increase (Decrease) Books/Periodicals/Electronic Resources $456,200 $455,200 ($1,000) Videos/CDs/Books on Tape $159,000 $154,000 ($5,000) Programs for Kids, Teens and Adults $64,500 $64,500 N/A Facilities Maintenance $145,000 $153,750 $8,750 Employee Salaries (Professional) $1,424,695 $1,334,208 ($90,487) Employee Salaries (Support staff) $1,124,805 $1,188,805 $64,000 Social Security & Retirement Contributions $465,000 $576,703 $111,703 Health Insurance $280,000 $322,000 $42,000 Debt Service to Building Expansion $278,947 $275,709 ($3,238) Income from Fines & Other Sources $212,000 $201,000 ($11,000) Total Operating Budget $4,713,700 $4,839,844 $126,144 Total Tax Appropriation Requested $4,501,700 $4,638,844 $137,144Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
