Regional library board approves 0% overall budget increase; Pine County’s levy share falls

Commissioners reported that a regional library board meeting produced a compromise budget: the board received three proposals (0%, 2.5%, and 5% overall increases) and approved a 0% increase overall. Because the library funding formula distributes costs among member counties, Pine County’s levy obligation decreased by about $6,000 under the approved plan. To achieve the 0% increase, the library will use fund balance and consider modest staff-hour reductions; the board negotiated an option allowing individual counties to buy back hours locally if they prefer. Commissioners said the fund balance remains healthy and the approach preserves local control by letting counties restore hours where needed. The county’s commissioner said the compromise was acceptable as a regional solution while noting counties faced broader budget pressures. No formal county-level votes were recorded in the transcript beyond the commissioners' committee report.