Jackson County Adjusts to the Elimination of Maintenance of Effort

Jackson County is a member of the Winding Rivers Library System.

Libraries dealing with funding change. (Jackson County Chronicle, 12/7/2011)

Excerpt: Libraries in Jackson County are trimming their 2012 budgets after the state eliminated a provision requiring municipalities to fund libraries at the average of the prior three years.

The city of Black River Falls reduced its funding to the Black River Falls Public Library by $4,000 after the requirement was eliminated. The library received $141,000 from the city for its total $296,000 budget for 2011, and it will receive $137,000 from the city for 2012.

However, the village of Taylor maintained its funding level for Taylor Memorial Library, allocating the same $18,000 for 2012 as it did in 2011.

"Something's got to give.— It's got to be hours or materials or both," said Black River Falls Public Library Director Muriel Gunderson.  "The (provision) allowed libraries to plan for the future and be able to predict what their budgets were from year to year — they remained stable if not better."

"Now the city can determine whatever they want to give us."

Related post:
Jackson County:  A Half Century of Growth in Public Library Use.  (1/12/2011)

New Law Brings Financial Stability to the Bridgeport Public Library

And a 7-day-a-week schedule for the first time since 1989.

LINK

New law brings millions to Bridgeport library. (Hartford Courant, 11/25/2011)

Excerpt: These are some of the changes made possible by voters, who in a referendum two years ago approved a new law by which the city must create a library fund and appropriate one full mill of funding to the library system. In recent years, that has meant a roughly $6 million allotment.

Besides affording the libraries another roughly $2 million a year, the referendum ended the guessing game the library board often had to play about the amount the city would appropriate.

Fixed costs can now remain fixed. Once-ignored needs can now be addressed and long-term investments -- like new branches -- can be planned.

Despite "Womb to Tomb" Plea, Columbia County Board Nixes Additional Funding for Libraries

LINK

Columbia County OKs budget. (Portage Daily Register, 11/15/2011)

Excerpt:   Supervisor Barry Pufahl of Pardeeville proposed to amend the budget to boost expenditures for another service: libraries.

Pufahl's proposal called for adding $28,500 to the $527,490 that had been proposed for county library support. Because the state does not restrict the amount of property tax money counties can collect for libraries, he proposed increasing taxes to reflect that increase.

To the people of the county, Pufahl said, money spent on libraries is money well spent, particularly in these challenging economic times.

"To me," he said, "education is the foundation of learning, and libraries play an important role in the education of our citizens."

Supervisor Susan Martin of the town of Pacific agreed, saying that many of her constituents see libraries as one of the county's vital services.

"Libraries serve all of the public, from womb to tomb," she said.

But Supervisor Debra Wopat of the town of Wyocena said the county already funds libraries at a higher level than is required by state law.

"I know it's important," she said, "but so are other functions of other departments."

Supervisor John Tramburg of Fall River, chairman of the finance committee, said, "Taxes are high enough when you figure in schools, state, federal, cities and counties."

Supervisors rejected the amendment to boost library funding, by a 22-8 vote.