Why Are the Library’s Hours So Short?

• Three rate increase referendums have failed since the library moved into its new building in Dec. 2001. This means that we do not have the funds to meet the needs of our expanding population.
• The Property Tax cap has reduced the amount of money available to the library. In order to have a balanced budget, we had to cut staff, and that meant that we could not be open as many hours as and the community needed (and we wanted) to be open. The tax cap limits the amount of real estate tax revenue we can receive each year. Although the assessed valuation of the area is mushrooming, we cannot capture the full potential of this growth. To put it in dollars, if we could tax at the legal maximum rate we would have been able to receive $1.6 million for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2005. Instead we will receive just over $1 million, a difference of $580,000. That would have given us enough money to be open 68 hours 7 days a week (albeit with minimum staffing). People may like the idea of a cap on their property taxes, but they must realize that it is accompanied by diminished public services.

We serve all segments and ages in the community, so it was a difficult balancing act when we decided to reduce hours. Unfortunately that meant that everyone had to give up at least some of their favorite times to visit the library. We can only afford to be open 46 hours 5 days a week (during the school year).