2013 Budget

2013 Mid-Year Budget Hearing before members of the Erie County Legislature’s Finance and Management Committee

Wednesday, July 17, 2013 Briefing to members of the Erie County Legislature by Library System Director Mary Jean Jakubowski, Library System Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Stone and Chairman of the System Board of Trustees, Jack Connors on the Library’s mid-year budget status. Mid-Year Budget hearing 7-17-2013 (pdf)

2013 - 2016 B&ECPL Four-Year Plan Information

April 18, 2013 Briefing to System Library Board on Erie County’s Revised Four-Year Plan’s Potential Impacts (pdf)

This briefing provides an overview of: Library funding history including the current adopted budget; how the Library compares with library systems serving similar sized populations; Erie County mandated vs. discretionary funding; Erie County’s 2013-2016 Revised Financial Plan documents; and Library 2013-2016 Financial Plan alternatives reflecting the impact of the revised county plan along with changes resulting from New York State’s recently adopted budget.

2013 Adopted Budget Information

On December 20^th, the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees Adopted the Library’s 2013 budget. This budget includes an increase of $300,000 (1.4%) in county funding recommended by the Erie County Executive and approved by the Erie County Legislature. This allocation begins the process of restoring services cut due to in previous years’ budget constraints, opening doors across the county by funding 39 restored weekly open hours and related programs. The budget is balanced, albeit at reduced service levels compared to 2008, with the funding gap vs. 2008 narrowing to $3.4 million.

Additionally, the Library’s request to move 2012’s County provided $2.0 million interfund subsidy revenue to the Library Tax line in the 2013 budget was approved. The $2.0 million move will appear as an increase in the Library Tax, but it is NOT an increase in county funding, rather it shows county funding for the Library in one place rather than two.

In total, while the Library Tax will show an 11.6 percent increase over 2012, most of that is simply the transfer from the County General Fund Property Tax line (which will show a decrease over 2012) to the Library Tax Line. The actual increase in total county funding for the Library is $300,000 or 1.4%. Please see page 13 of the Library 2013 Adopted Budget PDF. THE COMBINED ERIE COUNTY PROPERTY TAX LEVY PURSUANT TO THE LEGISLATURE ADOPTED BUDGET (County General Fund and Library Fund) actually DECREASES slightly vs. 2012’s adopted budget amount.

The Adopted Budget funding for the Library is:

$	21,872,457	– (Combines 2012 Library Tax Levy and 2012’s $2 million County Interfund Revenue Subsidy Amounts)
$	300,000	– Service Restoration Amount Recommended by County Executive
$	22,172,457	– 2013 Library Tax
$	1,903,222	– New York State Aid
$	710,639	– Use of Fund Balance
$	911,727	– All other revenue (including net library fines and fees)
$	25,698,045	–2013 Operating Budget Including Restorations
$	584,761	– Library Grants (NY State funding)
$	26,282,806	– 2013 Operating and Grants Budget Including Restorations