The county Budget Committee voted to approve maintenance-of-effort (MOE) amounts that cities will contribute to the county library system for fiscal 2025–26 and directed staff to send the package to the full Board for signatures and state submission by Oct. 31.

The MOE numbers matter because the state ties some library funding to local contributions; the committee’s approval is a required step before mayors sign and the system files for state funds. Library staff told the committee the state has required clearer accounting after earlier errors in how local contributions were recorded.

Joanna Daniels, a member of the Budget Committee, opened the meeting and called members to roll call. A library system staff member who led the MOE review told the committee that the figures must be finalized quickly so the county can get the required signatures and meet the state deadline. “This has to be submitted by October 31, so that our libraries can get the state funding,” the library staff member said.

Committee discussion focused on verification and past accounting problems. The library staff member described earlier errors when local contributions were miscounted and said the state has asked for verified MOE numbers. “The state didn't even catch it. I actually caught it,” the staff member said, describing a prior incident in which a funding category was counted twice.

The staff member reported municipal contribution amounts included in the approved MOE: Gallatin, $35,000; Hendersonville, $50,000; Millersville, increased from $2,500 to $5,000; Westmoreland, $2,000. The record contains an unclear figure for Portland described as “27 5” in the meeting transcript; the exact Portland amount was not clarified during the committee meeting.

The committee approved the MOE numbers by motion and second; the motion passed and the staff member said they will correct any discrepancies if the MOE totals do not align with the county budget before forwarding the item. The committee chair and staff emphasized the next steps: the committee’s approval must be ratified by the full Board, then the mayors must sign the MOE statements before the county submits them to the state.

The committee also approved meeting minutes from Feb. 14, 2025, and adjourned. The library staff member and committee members noted the short timetable and urged prompt scheduling of a full-Board meeting so signatures and submission can occur before the state deadline.