Cochise County Library District presents FY26 budget forecast, requests board guidance on contingency and long-range planning

The Cochise County Library District presented its FY26 budget forecast to the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, saying property-tax revenue for the district is expected to rise to $1,695,086 for fiscal year 2026 while the district plans modest branch maintenance, continued investment in digital collections and further analysis of long-range needs.

Library District director Britney (last name not provided) told the board, “the library district is a small department, but we provide countywide service. We operate 5 branch libraries in rural locations and provide support services for the 7 municipal libraries across the county.” She said the district operates five branches plus a headquarters in Bisbee and provides a shared online catalog, e-books, digital collections and access to research databases.

Why this matters: the district serves a predominantly rural county where residential broadband gaps make branch Internet service and outside-access Wi‑Fi an important public resource. The director urged supervisors to provide direction for a multi-year plan that aligns services with county priorities and addresses staffing and contingency uses.

The district reported staffing and service levels: 13 staff members (several part time), representing “just under 10 full-time equivalents across 6 locations,” with one position fully dedicated to delivering materials to libraries and another mostly on the road delivering to patrons. The director said salary and employee-related expenses were among the largest budget lines: “For this fiscal year, FY '25, that comes to $705,853. For FY '26, we're looking at $777,818,” which she said mostly reflects an increase in employee-related expenses.

On revenue and collections, the district reported property-tax receipts of $1,638,029 in FY25 and a projected 3% increase to $1,695,086 for FY26, with the presenter noting the tax rate itself had not increased. Collections spending (print books, e-books and items that circulate) is “just under $300,000,” the director said, and the district has worked to reduce wait times for digital materials by partnering with other Arizona library systems.

The presentation highlighted broadband and Wi‑Fi use at rural branches. The director said every county library has broadband and that some rural residential areas lack home broadband or reliable cell coverage, making branch Wi‑Fi important: “We ended the last fiscal year, more than 38,000 computer Wi Fi sessions were offered at just at those rural branch locations.” She also said the outdoor Wi‑Fi signal at many branches is available daily (commonly 6 a.m.–8 p.m.) so residents can use the connection even when buildings are closed.

The district described cooperative services to municipal libraries: it provides the shared software and courier service that let patrons across the county access a wider collection. The director noted reciprocal access with about 10 other Arizona library systems (excluding Maricopa County) so Cochise County cardholders can check out digital materials from partner systems.

Board members asked about contingency funds and longer-term funding options. The director reviewed the contingency’s recent history — from nearly $800,000 in 2013–14, a reduction to about $350,000 after the recession, then a rebuild — and said the district has fewer staff now than before the recession. She said the board could consider keeping a contingency on the order of $850,000 as a target and asked for direction on use of cash carry-forward funds for services versus savings or other investments.

A board member raised the possibility of an endowment or trust to fund the district over time and referenced state law allowing endowment participation by special districts; during that exchange a board member cited an Arizona statute related to endowment and trust funds (ARS 35, exact section not specified). The director and board members discussed practical constraints: an endowment would need a separate entity with its own board of trustees and could take decades to grow large enough to replace tax revenue.

Financial detail and donations: the director said the library district does not accept donations directly but that Friends of the Library groups (local nonprofit organizations) accept contributions and fund programs such as summer reading and literacy initiatives. Supervisors asked about interest revenue handled by the county treasurer; the director reported the county treasurer’s office currently returns interest revenue and that the library’s interest receipts in the most recent reporting were $48,535.

No formal motions or votes were taken during the presentation. The Library District director asked the board for guidance on long-range planning priorities and contingency policy; board members indicated interest in further discussion and possible follow-up work to consider endowment structures and contingency uses.

The district said planned near-term capital work is modest and local: exterior painting at the Bowie and Elfrida branches, upgrades to public computers and continued maintenance of buildings and grounds. The director emphasized recruitment and retention as an ongoing challenge after several recent retirements and said the district would continue to monitor state library services that supplement staff training and collections.

The presentation closed with the director inviting supervisors and residents to visit branch locations and asking the board to provide strategic direction on the contingency fund and long-range planning.