Library board OKs asking for higher additional levy

By Elise Mckeown Skolnick

The board of directors delayed action on closing the West Branch library.

YOUNGSTOWN — Anticipating budget cuts when the General Assembly passes a state budget, the board of trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will ask voters for more money than originally planned.

At its June 11 meeting, the board approved a resolution authorizing placing 1-mill replacement levy and a 0.5-mill additional levy for five years on the November ballot.

Rather than follow through with that plan, the board on Wednesday approved a resolution authorizing the 1-mill replacement levy and a 0.7-mill additional levy for five years.

“We’re looking at a cut of 30 percent [if the proposed state budget is adopted],” said Carlton Sears, director of the library system.

Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed budget calls for a 30 percent decrease in funding to libraries. Sears doesn’t believe the decrease will be that high, but said he wouldn’t be “shocked” by a reduction of 10 percent.

A cut of that size would mean “we’re going to have to reduce hours and change the way we operate,” Sears said.

The proposed levy would raise $6.88 million annually. The levies, to be voted as one issue, need authorization from the county commissioners to be placed on the ballot. The entire process needs to be complete by Aug. 20, so the board could not wait for a state budget to pass to make its decision. The 1.5-mill levy would have generated $6.06 million a year.

The new state budget was to have been in place Wednesday, but the state Legislature approved a seven-day interim budget, allowing for more time to consider Strickland’s proposed budget. The House approved a second seven-day budget Wednesday.

“There’s a great deal of uncertainty about our biggest source of income,” Sears said.

The library system faced a $2 million deficit at the beginning of the year, due to a decrease in state funding based on tax collections. To make up the shortfall, the board made cuts in other areas, including reducing its book budget, re-negotiating its natural-gas contract and returning to 2008 salary levels for administrative staff.

On Wednesday, the board accepted reduction in wage amendments to collective-bargaining agreements with the clerical/maintenance/technical and public librarian unions. The board also laid off 10 part-time employees and deferred action on closing the West Branch library, a cost-cutting measure discussed in June.