SALAMANCA — The Salamanca Common Council stuck firm to its decision to cut nearly 20% of its contribution to the Salamanca Public Library in their 2021-22 budget despite pressure by members of the library board and staff to reconsider.
The council approved a $10.61 million tentative budget Wednesday night that is roughly $248,000 less than the current budget and includes no increase to the tax levy. The amount to be raised by taxes is expected to be $972,893 with a rate of $64.39 per thousand of taxable value.
Following approval of the tentative budget during regular business, library manager Jennifer Stickles addressed the council members, urging them to reconsider the cut that she said could deeply affect the library’s day-to-day operations and services provided to the community.
The library originally requested about $260,000 in funds from the city, which came under its current budget of $264,692.90. Following the budget prep sessions in January, Stickles said the library budget was reduced to $248,772.
“We left the meeting feeling good, and then all of a sudden we got an email from the city clerk telling us we’re getting cut down to $200,000,” she said. “I went back over the past 20 years and we’ve never had a budget that low.”
Stickles told the council that with a cut this size, the library will be unable to fill a vacant position, which will require hours to be cut down, and there’s a likelihood of cutting the book budget by 70% and the DVD budget in half.
“You’re expecting us to be able to run off of only $200,000 and whatever we might have left over at the end of this fiscal year, which we don’t know how much that’s going to be,” she said.
Members of the council recommended the library look into other means and alternative ways to make up the deficit, such as collaborating with the school district and other libraries. Stickles explained the library is already part of a co-county system with 37 other libraries where they can share borrowed materials, but as a municipal library they can’t legally work with the school district on things such as ordering and sharing new materials.
Councilman Barry Smith (I), who represents Ward 3 where the library is located, suggested the library look into grants and fundraising efforts, as well as working with other city departments and local entities to help with materials and supplies and performing renovations. Stickles said the funding issue isn’t with building repairs, maintenance or office needs but new books for patrons, programming opportunities and staffing the library.
“We don’t have special projects planned. We don’t have vehicles that we purchase,” she added. “We need the money for day-to-day operations, and you cutting 20 percent of our budget affects our day-to-day operations and what we can do for the people of this community.”
Councilwoman Janet Koch (D-Ward 5) said redistricting the library as part of the school district rather than the city is something the council could consider in the future as a way to help better fund it. In the meantime, she said she doesn’t want nearly 30% of the tax levy going to the library in a small community like Salamanca.
“We have to think about the senior citizens who are only bringing in $500 a month on Social Security,” she added. “That’s who I’m looking out for.”
“Libraries are most used during times of economic hardship,” Stickles responded. “The people in the community who don’t have a lot of money to pay their taxes need a public library where they can come in and use the internet for free and get free entertainment and free educational services.”
Library board president Tim Baird said during his many years on the board, he always felt the council had the library at heart and knew the value of it to the city until this year where he said it’s like the council was abandoning the library.
“Are we an albatross around your necks? Because that’s what it feels like from our perspectives,” he added. “In all these years I’ve never been disappointed, but I’m disappointed now in the Common Council.”
Council president John “Jack” Hill (D-Ward 1) said he feels bad that the council had to slash funds in every department. He said when the council sat down to go over the budget, they had to be careful with what each department would get because they don’t know what money will be left in two years.
“For 14 different years I’ve been here for budgets, and this is the hardest one I’ve ever had to work on,” he added. “I’m sorry for anybody who had their budget cut. We’re trying our best.”
A public hearing on the tentative budget will be held Feb. 24 at the beginning of the next Common Council meeting before it is expected to be proposed for adoption later that night.
(Contact managing editor Kellen Quigley at kquigleysp@gmail.com)
