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Dunn County committee approves $5,000 contingency transfer to Colfax Library after circulation shortfall
Summary
The Community Resources and Tourism Committee voted to use $5,000 from the county contingency fund to help cover a $17,143 shortfall at the Colfax Public Library caused by a drop in Dunn County circulation and higher out-of-county use under the state circulation-based apportionment formula.
The Dunn County Community Resources and Tourism Committee voted to transfer $5,000 from the county contingency fund to help the Colfax Public Library cover a budget shortfall caused by changes in circulation and county-user patterns.
The committee’s action followed a staff presentation explaining how Wisconsin library funding is apportioned. Deanna (Dunn County clerk) explained that Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 43 governs library funding and that counties must apportion payments to libraries based on usage: counties pay a share of each library’s operating budget proportionate to how many residents from that county borrowed materials. The statutes specify a minimum funding rate of 70% for out-of-county circulation; Dunn County has historically funded its four in-county libraries at 100% and out-of-county libraries at 70%.
Why it matters: Colfax reported a $17,143 shortfall for the year cited; staff told the committee the library obtained approximately $12,000 in grants and requested $5,000 from the county to close the remaining gap. The shortfall stems from lower circulation by Dunn County residents coupled with higher out-of-county borrowing at Colfax, which lowers the library’s per-item allocation under the statutory formula.
Details the committee discussed: - The county paid $799,998.97 in library apportionments across multiple libraries under the current formula. - Colfax’s reported 2023 operating budget and circulation figures produced a cost-per-circulation figure the county uses to compute the apportionment. Staff provided a year-over-year comparison showing Colfax’s county-usage decline and the resulting funding decrease. - All four Dunn County libraries received less county apportionment in the year cited than in the prior year; Colfax’s reduction was the largest in percentage terms for the in-county libraries.
Motion and vote: A committee member moved to approve the resolution to fund the Colfax request; the motion was seconded by Supervisor Bernd. Committee members amended the motion to draw the $5,000 from the county contingency fund rather than a budget adjustment. The committee approved the amended motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
Process notes: Staff told the committee that a contingency transfer is a quicker mechanism than a full budget adjustment and that using the contingency fund would avoid a two-thirds vote by the full county board. Staff also said they will include a year-over-year comparative analysis in the next report so the board can anticipate similar funding shifts earlier in the budget cycle.
Ending: The committee approved the contingency transfer and asked staff to provide additional comparative data to help the board consider whether broader changes to apportionment policy or earlier budget monitoring are warranted.
