by Phil Keren
Editor
Cuyahoga Falls -- As it endures a full 12 months of reduced state funding, the Cuyahoga Falls Library will operate on a scaled-back budget this year.
The library's Board of Trustees on Jan. 26 unanimously approved a $2.489 million general fund budget for 2010, said Kevin Rosswurm, the library's director.
According to Rosswurm, this year's spending plan is about $250,000 lower than the 2009 budget.
"We tried to spread the reductions across the board, rather than concentrate on a single area," said Rosswurm. "We will reduce our spending for supplies, travel and conferences, printing, building and site repair, and library materials."
According to Rosswurm, expenses related to speakers and programs for the library will be handled by the Friends of the Library group. Last year, the funding was a combination of library money and donations from the Friends of the Library contingent. Approximately $7,600 was spent on library programs in 2009, according to Rosswurm.
Most of the expenses related to the planned renovation of the library's upper level will be covered by the library's building fund, explained Rosswurm.
The reductions were made because Rosswurm said the library is expecting to receive less from state revenue coffers.
"We anticipate 7 percent less this year than we received last year," said Rosswurm. "That amounts to $92,167."
Until last July, the libraries had been receiving 2.2 percent of the state's general revenue fund, said Rosswurm. The state's biennial budget adopted July 1, 2009 reduces that percentage to 1.97 percent of the general revenue fund.
"We had a significant drop [in state revenue]," said Rosswurm. "[This year] we've got a full 12 months [of lower state funding]."
On the revenue side, Rosswurm said the library is planning to receive $1 million from its local levy and about $1.22 million from the state's Public Library Fund. Those are the two main sources of revenue, but the library is also expected to receive $12,000 in miscellaneous income (including fines, interest and donations) and will spend $250,000 from its reserve fund.
The library's property tax levy expires at the end of 2011, said Rosswurm.
Rosswurm said the library's health insurance costs for its employees are projected to increase by 13 percent this year. With the health insurance contract running from July 1 to June 30, Rosswurm said library officials do not know exactly how much they will pay in the second half of the year, but they are planning for a 13 percent hike.
According to the budget documents, $162,000 will be spent on employee health insurance. Other top expenditures are: salaries, $1.1 million; books and pamphlets, $250,000; property maintenance repair, $164,000; retirement benefits, $154,000; furniture and equipment, $150,000; utilities, $95,000; and audio-visual, $92,000.
All library employees are receiving a 1.5 percent pay increase this year. There are 24 full-time employees and 13 part-time workers.
E-mail: pkeren@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3940