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Kent County Library asks commissioners for $42,874 to cover staffing and security camera shortfall; county requests revised budget details
Summary
Kent County Public Library asked the Board of Commissioners for roughly $42,874 to cover staffing changes, benefits and security camera funding; county staff said earlier calculations used incomplete data and asked the library to revise numbers.
Kent County Public Library Executive Director Robert Bell told commissioners the library’s FY2026 allocation from the county is short by $42,874 because the library board hired and reclassified staff after the county’s budget calculations were made. The library requested the additional funding to cover cost‑of‑living increases, health benefits and security camera capital costs.
Bell said the library’s FY2025 county allocation was $7,373,731 and that to cover new hires, an internal promotion and security cameras the library needs an additional $42,874. Pat (county finance staff) replied that the county adopted budget included a $48,731 increase for the library based on direction to apply the same salary and benefit increases given to county employees. Pat said the adopted number did not account for two items: a $25,000 capital contribution shown in the library’s submission that had in fact been funded by another agency last year (not county dollars), and a reduction in hours for several senior staff positions (from 80 to 75 hours) that should have reduced the salary increase calculation.
Pat explained that if the $25,000 non‑county capital contribution is removed and the reduced senior staff hours are accounted for, the county’s calculated increase would grow from about $48,731 to roughly $73,000 before adjustments — and that properly accounting for reduced hours would lower the required salary increase by about $20,000 to $26,000 depending on whether exempt staff are included. Commissioners stressed the need for clearer communication when the library board changes staffing levels that affect county funding and asked staff and library leadership to work together to produce a revised allocation that addresses the hour reductions and benefit costs.
No vote was taken; commissioners directed county finance staff and library leadership to rework the numbers and return with an updated proposal. Commissioners and staff said they continue to support the library and agreed to avoid setting a precedent that would treat library employees differently from county employees.
