2019 Budget
2019 Adopted Budget Information
On December 20, 2018, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees adopted the Library’s 2019 Budget. Previously, on December 6th, the Erie County Legislature adopted a 2019 County Budget with amendments. The Legislature supported the Library’s allocation and while they approved amendments in other parts of the County Budget, none changed the County Executive’s 2019 Budget allocation for the Library.
The 2019 Operating and Grants Budget sustains library operations and services at current levels. Further, it incorporates the impacts of contractually obligated costs related to current labor agreements; those approved for unrepresented and managerial/confidential employees via previous Board Resolutions; along with a reserve for labor agreements not yet settled. Current agreements provide for modest wage adjustments as well as employee contributions towards the cost of health care and provisions limiting the employer share of both active and retiree health care costs over the longer term. The Library’s overall operating budget, including State Aid and library revenue, increases 1.7% from 2018’s $27,997,864 to $28,485,469 in 2019. Including grants, the combined total increases 1.7% from 2018’s $28,682,534 to $29,176,921 in 2019.
While not part of the Library’s operating budget, the County’s Capital Budget provides $980,000 to support improvements to the county-owned downtown Central Library; specifically, $400,000 to address building exterior envelop and site rehabilitation and related needs, $500,000 for continued rehabilitation of the 50+ year old building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and $80,000 to replace one shipping and one maintenance vehicle.
For more information about the Library’s 2019 Budget please see:
2019 B&ECPL Adopted Budget Document (pdf)
2019 Proposed Budget – 11/13/2018 Budget Hearing
On Tuesday November 13, 2018, B&ECPL Board Chair Frank Housh, Esq., Library Director Mary Jean Jakubowski and CFO Ken Stone presented an overview of the Library’s 2019 budget request to the Erie County Legislature’s Finance & Management/Budget Committee and answered legislators’ questions.
2019 Budget Hearing Presentation Text (pdf)
2019 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Charts and Graphs (pdf)
2019 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Line Item Detail (pdf)
Additional detail is presented in the 2019 Proposed Budget section below.
2019 Proposed Budget
On Friday October 12, 2018 Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz released his 2019 Proposed Budget.
The Library appreciates Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s support in recommending a county funding increase of $488,450 (2.0%) to libraries in his 2019 Proposed Budget through funds generated by growth in the equalized full value property tax base. As the tax base is estimated to have grown by almost 5%, the Library Tax Rate per $1,000 will decline modestly. The additional funding will help offset increased contractually obligated costs while sustaining Library operations and services, including expanded open hours implemented in 2018. We sincerely hope that the full Legislature will approve the County Executive’s proposal and appreciate their past support.
County funding of $24,910,939, combined with funding from New York State of $2,250,363 in operating aid, use of $506,529 in Library fund balance, and $817,638 in other library revenue, brings the Library’s 2019 proposed operating budget to $28,485,469; a modest 1.7% increase over the 2018 Adopted Budget. In addition to the operating budget, $691,452 in state aid is included in the Library Grants Budget.
Erie County’s 2019 Proposed Capital Budget will support improvements to the county owned downtown Central Library and replacements to system vehicles. Specifically:
$500,000 for Central Library Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Improvements;
$400,000 for Central Library Exterior Building Envelope & Site Improvements; and
$ 80,000 for Shipping And Maintenance Vehicle Replacement Program.
We believe the County Executive’s budget is a vote of confidence for the work the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is doing on behalf of the community. The Library is committed to providing access to quality resources and information in a variety of formats and technologies to meet its mission: Connecting our diverse community with library resources that enrich, enlighten and entertain.
The next event in the budget review process will be the Library’s budget hearing before the Erie County Legislature’s Finance & Management/Budget Committee likely to be scheduled by mid- November (date and time to be determined) in the Legislative Chambers, 92 Franklin Street, 4th Floor, Buffalo, NY. A public hearing/comment opportunity on the overall County Budget will be scheduled for later in November, also in the Legislative Chambers.
Information on the proposed budget may be found in the links below. This page will be updated as the budget process moves forward.
2019 Proposed Budget Information
Erie County Proposed Budget Document Excerpts - Library Operating, Grants & Capital(pdf)
2019 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Charts and Graphs(pdf)
2019 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Line Item Detail (pdf)
Link to Erie County 2019 Proposed Budget Documents: Budget Message/4-Year Plan; Books A and B