Hopes to restore library funding were dashed Thursday when budget transfers were approved without consideration to what speakers at the June 21 council meeting called a community gem, a necessity and a vital source for education.
The ostensible reason was that a resolution on budget transfers referred only to expenses incurred in the 2010 fiscal year.
Once the 2010 city budget passed in February, the library found itself operating at a budget reduced from a proposed $1.9 million to $1.556 million. The result was numerous staff reductions, curtailed hours and other deficits.
Thursday’s council vote on a temporary three-month budget for the 2011 fiscal year retained the current funding level, although Councilman Adrian Mapp held out the possibility that future temporary emergency allocations month-by-month would be at the discretion of the governing body and could include restorations to past funding levels.
The library also suffered from an administrative decision to turn back $300,000 in employee benefit costs from the city to the library. Plainfield Public Library Director Joe Da Rold said the council restored half the cost, but questioned whether the same rule would apply in FY 2011. City Administrator Bibi Taylor said after the meeting that as of the present time, no change was contemplated, but she said the FY 2011 budget was “still in its infancy stage.”
In a presentation on June 21, Da Rold and others spelled out the losses that would occur from funding cuts, while citing the current administration’s view that the library was not part of municipal government.
The next round of arguments on support of the library therefore may not take place until September or October, by which time staff cuts and other reductions will have been ongoing for about a quarter of the 2011 fiscal year.
--Bernice Paglia
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Ms. Taylor says that the new budget is "in its infancy". This is the same budget that by law was supposed to take effect on July first. Even the state passed their budget on time. I recall a few months ago that the administration indicated that their reason for not submitting a budget to the council was uncertainity over what the town would receive from the state. With the passing of the state budget has that unknown been removed? If so what is the time frame now for the administration to put forth their plan to the council?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo 8:21 a.m., the new budget year began July 1 but there is nothing in place except the temporary budget permitting one quarter of last year's amount. After three months, the council must make temporary emergency appropriations to operate the city until the budget is passed.
ReplyDelete