Libraries won't get full funding request
By Tim Damos, Capital Newspapers
Local libraries will not get the funding they requested next year following a close vote Wednesday night by the Sauk County Board.
The move followed comments from four citizens during a public hearing on the 2009 budget, all of whom encouraged the board to fully fund libraries.
Libraries will get $851,661 of county funding next year — a 2.3 percent increase over what they received last year. They had requested a 5.77 percent increase.
Citizens who spoke said it didn't seem logical to reduce the increase when it would only save the average taxpayer less than $1 in 2009.
"I'll gladly pay five times that to have my library fully funded," said Linda Ellen of the Township of Delton.
Former county supervisor Joan Wheeler said the libraries' funding request was based on 2007 circulation levels, and the county shouldn't shirk its responsibility.
The board's Finance Committee had originally proposed freezing library funding at 2008 levels, but later agreed to provide a 2.3 percent increase after hearing from library supporters.
But an amendment proposed by supervisor Judy Ashford of Merrimac during the full board's annual budget meeting Wednesday night would have added $29,000 to the county's tax levy and given libraries the 5.77 percent increase they requested.
Supervisors turned it down on a 17-14 vote.
County board chairman Marty Krueger of Reedsburg said libraries have requested increases the last few years and state law forces counties to fund libraries at a level that is not lower than the average of the last three years.
"At what point can you not fund it at 100 percent?" said Krueger, the Finance Committee member who proposed the smaller increase. "Or does this just continue every year?"
Krueger said the chairman of the county's library board has said he understands the county's fiscal situation and would be OK with a smaller funding increase.
The board was still debating the 2009 budget as of press time.
The proposed budget would tax property owners at a rate of $4.18 per $1,000 of assessed property value. If passed, the average county tax on a $168,000 property would be $702.65, a 3.08 percent increase from last year.
The county's total budgeted expenses would be $69.94 million — with $27.71 million of that coming from local taxpayers.