Bryce, library staff (presenter), reviewed the library’s priorities in the tentative 2025–26 budget and described operational and staffing changes planned if the city council adopts the budget. He said the city’s revenue mix — a low property tax base and heavy reliance on sales tax — makes budgeting more variable and that city capital demands reduced CIP funds available to departments.

On staffing and pay, Bryce said the library will convert some associate positions to librarian classifications (Meg FlindersPay to programming librarian; Matt Kemmerer to makerspace librarian) and expects to post a vacant general reference associate position soon. The Makerspace expansion will add roughly 50 part‑time staff hours per week to support expanded hours, Bryce said. The library will accelerate part‑time pay increases so employees reach what they would otherwise earn after seven years in 6, 12 or 18 months; staff estimated this acceleration will cost about $40,000 per year.

The commission heard that collection development funding has been raised to align with peer practices. “We have, the last 2 years, moved more money towards collection development budget. This year, I think we are $60,000 up across our collection development budgets in addition to what we added the previous year,” Bryce said, and later noted the library is “up a hundred thousand dollars in 2 years to our collection development budget.” The library also increased programming supply budgets by roughly $22,000 and allocated similar budgets for Makerspace materials (about $20,000).

Staff said they have intentionally reduced enforcement of late fines — not by changing the fee schedule but by instructing staff to charge fines less often — which has lowered fine revenue by an estimated $20,000–$25,000 per year. Bryce said the library did not plan to go fully fine‑free at this time but called the shift a deliberate service choice.

Other capital and operating items noted: the automatic material handler is scheduled to arrive in August, a major IT infrastructure investment is planned to support future maker and lab expansions, and the $2 million renovation is underway. The tentative budget was presented to the city council May 13, with a final budget scheduled for June 24 and a public feedback period between the presentations.