2012 Budget
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2012 Mid-Year Hearing
2012 Mid-Year Hearing of the Erie County Legislature, Finance and Management Committee at County Hall. This meeting took place on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. These meetings are a normal part of the Legislature’s duties, which include monitoring the county budget Here are the written comments from Library Chair Jack Connors and Library Director Mary Jean Jakubowski (pdf)(read by Joy Testa Cinquino in Mary Jean’s absence). The mid-year financials, also attached were presented by Chief Financial Officer Ken Stone. Chief Operating Officer Carol Batt was also on hand to answer questions. Download PDF of Mid-Year Libary Financials.
2012 Adopted Budget
On December 15, 2011 the Board of Trustees of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library adopted the Library’s 2012 Budget. This budget allows the Library to continue to offer 2011 levels of open hours and services our patrons need and are using now more than ever as they struggle to manage household budgets during what is clearly the most serious economic downturn since the great depression. Like many patrons, the Library’s “household budget” has been strained by reduced county and state support.
Despite a reduction of 98.5 open hours per week (6% of 2010 total weekly open hours) in response to reduced funding in 2011, B&ECPL has experienced no decrease in circulation through October, while year-to-date public access computer use has decreased only 3.6% across the System. Public computer use at libraries throughout the System is at or near capacity much of each operating day.
Downlad PDF of the 2012 Adopted Budget
2012 Erie County Operating Budget Adopted: On December 6th the Erie County Legislature adopted the County’s 2012 Budget.
The County Executive did not veto any of the Legislature’s changes, so the changes become part of the County’s 2012 Budget.
The adopted budget included a County Legislature amendment restoring Central Library maintenance functions, Central Library utilities, and Buffalo Branch maintenance functions to the Library’s 2012 Budget. The utility costs and maintenance functions had been proposed to be transferred to the Erie County Buildings and Grounds Department.
The budget amendment reverses the transfer of functions and restores library utilities and maintenance staffing to their present (2011) levels. This restoration, valued at $1.7 million, will result in no change to Erie County’s property tax rate of $5.03 per $1,000 of equalized full market value (the same rate used in 2009, 2010 and 2011).
The County Adopted Budget also includes a $2,000,000 interfund revenue subsidy allocation to the Library which, combined with the maintenance restoration, fringe benefit savings, fundraising efforts, a $550,000 reduction to the Library Materials budget, and use of just under $538,000 in fund balance will allow all libraries to maintain their current public service open hours and staffing in 2012. With this budget we anticipate that there will be NO layoffs in 2012. It does not, however, provide funding to restore the 98.5 weekly service hours and related staffing reductions that occurred as part of the 2011 budget process.
The total County Property Tax Levy will remain unchanged from the 2012 Proposed Budget at $237,692,831, which is up 1.07% from 2011’s levy of $235,182,208 reflecting growth in the full value property tax base. The allocation of the tax proceeds between the County General Fund and the Library Fund will change as follows:
|
County Property Tax Component |
Exec. Proposed |
Legislature Adopted |
|
County General Fund |
$219,520,998 |
$217,820,374 |
|
Library Fund |
$ 18,171,833 |
$ 19,872,457 |
|
Total County Property Tax Levy |
$237,692,831 |
$237,692,831 |
This budget continues support for major library initiatives:
1. Continuing conversion of our existing materials handling, inventory, circulation and security system operations to a much more efficient RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) based system. This multi-year grant funded project has seen 16 libraries operating using RFID through 2011 with approximately 10 additional libraries scheduled for conversion in 2012, including the Central Library early in 2012. The remaining 11 libraries will see RFID implementation in 2013. RFID provides the opportunity to use technology to improve public service and assist staff, whose numbers have been reduced by previous years’ budget cuts, in meeting the demand from heavy patron usage of library services;
2. Ongoing to work with contracting library directors, ACT (Association of Contracting Library Boards of Trustees) board members, branch managers, administrators and department heads to streamline governance; restructure our organization; seek alternate revenue streams; and rethink the way in which we provide services; and
3. Developing the long range strategic plan for the Library System including the provision of services to meet the needs of Erie County residents.
Barring significant unanticipated fiscal shocks, this budget will enable the Library to maintain 2011 open hours and service levels at all of our locations while avoiding layoffs in 2012. This approach positions the Library well to make the best case for future support from the legislature, the County Executive, and Erie County voters in 2013 and beyond.
View the 2012 Adopted Budget (pdf)
2012 Proposed Budget
On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, Library System Board of Trustee Chair, Sharon Thomas, System Director Mary Jean Jakubowski, and System Chief Financial Officer, Kenneth Stone made the following presentation before the Erie County Legislature Finance, Management and Budget Committee in the Chambers of the Erie County Legislature located at 92 Franklin Street, Buffalo on the fourth floor.
SHARON THOMAS, B&ECPL System Board Chairperson:
Good afternoon and thank you for having us here today. On
behalf of the 37 Libraries which make up the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System, please accept my sincerest appreciation for your time. As always, I must express the Library’s gratitude for your ongoing support and confidence in the services we provide.
2010 was a banner year for the Library System.
- Circulation surpassed 8 million items
- There were more than 3.9 million visits to the library
and - Public access computer use has risen by a staggering 96% across the System since 2007.
2011 is proving once again that the Library is a vital service to the residents of Erie County. Despite the reduction of service hours – 98 per week – circulation of materials remains constant and computer use is at maximum capacity.
We have worked hard to provide quality services, which meet the needs of the residents, within the budgetary constraints placed upon us.
I must make this clear…. to continue to provide necessary services and meet residents needs, we, the Library, cannot continue on the financial road of uncertainty.
As you are aware, this past September, with the support of a super majority of contracting library Boards, the System Board of Trustees voted to move forward to create a Special Legislative District Public Library System. We remain committed to this task in order to reduce our governance structure (23 government entities, 23 hiring authorities to 1 government entity, 1 hiring authority) and secure long term financial stability. Both of which are key to our ability to meet the ever growing demands and needs of our services.
We are in the initial phases of the Special Legislative District Public Library process. We expect to begin to work with constituents after the first of the year. The entire process is expected to take between 18 – 24 months. We ask for your support and assistance in helping us reach our goal.
Today, we are here to discuss how you can help us in the 2012 budget. I’d like to now turn this over to Mary Jean and Ken. Thank you.
LIBRARY DIRECTOR MARY JEAN JAKUBOWSKI:
Thank you, Sharon and thanks to all of you for having us here today.
I too, would like to thank the Legislature for its ongoing support of the Library. 2011 has proved to be a year of challenge and a year of change. Our use statistics speak volumes to us, as I know they do to you, of the importance of the Public Library within this community.
Yes, we can all agree our statistics are impressive. However, funding and the challenges we face year to year as a result is not[impressive].
Historically, funding has been unstable. Harkening back as far as 1975 we can demonstrate the lack of stability in funding. Library funding has been reduced many more times than it has been increased…. there have been library closures, reduced hours and services, reductions in staff etc. Sadly all of these have become a trend.
Planning for the future is nearly impossible.
We have worked hard to streamline workflow activities, we have purchased equipment, from significant investments like RFID to smaller investments into new floor cleaning equipment and everything in between to increase efficiencies, we have reduced floor plans and restructured staffing patterns, and monitored utility use…the list goes on and on.
Can we do more? You have my word that we will continue to explore all options, new technologies and library trends.
We have also stepped up our fundraising efforts. In just the past six (6) months we have raised more than ½ million dollars for the 2012 materials budget, programs and the development of a strategic plan. Donations were received from generous individuals, businesses and foundations. And, again you have my word; we will continue to look for new and creative ways to bring additional dollars into the Library System. But these funds cannot supplant basic library service needs.
We have had to make very difficult decisions. You have had to make very difficult decisions.
Despite what some may think….it must be said the Library is not a political entity. It is a quality of life institution - one which has proven itself through the test of time. It is and institution that is ever evolving. It is an entity which the community believes in…..supports and looks to in order to meet many of its basic needs.
I believe NOW is a time of opportunity. I hope you will as well.
Let us start today to work together to simplify and reduce our governance structure.
Let us start today, to work together to secure stabilized funding. Together we will do great things.
I will now ask Ken Stone to go through our 2012 budget.
Thank you.