As you may have already seen in the Spokesman-Review and other news outlets, the proposed 2011 City of Spokane budget includes large cuts for Spokane libraries, which may result in an entire branch having to close or the elimination of an outreach program to seniors and preschoolers.
The budget proposal by Mayor Mary Verner is attempting to deal with an estimated $10 million shortfall as a result of the recession. While the library staff had foreseen budget cuts and already eliminated 2.85% of their budget, approximately $220,000, these proposed cuts are twice what they'd planned for.
The budget was proposed early in order for citizens to give feedback on the proposed cuts. To express your comments & concerns about the potential cuts, go to: Ask Spokane
The city currently has six library branches: Downtown, Shadle, South Hill, Hillyard, Eastside and Indian Trail. Due to the recession, visits to the library have increased by almost 6%, with last year being the busiest year on record.
Make sure to follow the link and give your feedback!
1 comment:
Thank you for your concern about the reductions anticipated at the Spokane Public Library.
Every year, developing the City of Spokane’s General Fund budget is a careful balancing act. Police. Fire. Streets. Parks. Libraries. Courts & Jail. We have many priorities and a finite set of resources. Even in a good year, this work is difficult; in a bad year, like we expect for 2011, the challenges increase.
The City’s Finance Division has forecast an approximately $10 million gap between revenues and expenses within the City’s General Fund for 2011. The City’s General Fund in 2010 totaled $161 million.
Mayor Mary Verner earlier this month rolled out an initial balanced budget plan for 2011 that uses a blend of targeted reductions, across-the-board departmental cuts, and available resources to maintain the most critical City services and help poise the City for recovery from the current economic downturn.
As part of the budget, the pay of senior leaders has been frozen, work is under way to reduce the cost of employee benefits, and work schedule changes are anticipated.
Not all services are spared, of course. Some 42 positions will be eliminated from the budget because of the reductions, impacting everything from police to fire to streets and more. Two more positions will be lost because grant funding will run out, and there’s no money available in the General Fund to continue to pay for them.
The Neighborhood Resource Officer program will be greatly reduced, while rolling station closures are possible in the Fire Department. The Street Department will lose one of two utility patch crews and general maintenance activities will slow. Municipal Court will operate with three fewer clerks, and changes are planned in both the Public Defender’s and Prosecutor’s Offices. And yes, the initial plan includes freezing the Library's budget at 2010 levels, which will require cuts. The initial budget also includes the use of $2 million from the City’s reserves.
Please email me (Marlene Feist, the City's Public Affairs Officer) at mfeist@spokanecity.org if you would like an executive summary of the Mayor’s initial 2011 budget plan. We are collecting all the feedback we receive on the budget and will use that information as we consider changes for a final budget proposal. Please understand that we are trying to balance all of the needs of our citizens within budgetary constraints.
Sincerely,
Marlene Feist
Public Affairs Officer
City of Spokane
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