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Library trustees present modest budget increase, confirm no-fines policy and trustee contributions
Summary
The Merrimack Public Library trustees told the council the library’s FY25 budget is roughly 1.6% over default; trustees plan to contribute $17,000 from trust funds and maintain the library’s no-fines policy and automated renewals.
Library trustees updated the Town Council on the library’s proposed FY25 budget at the Jan. 22 budget hearing, reporting that the library’s spending request is about 1.6% above default.
Trustees said they have adopted a staff salary scale to improve retention and planning. The trustees also plan to contribute $17,000 from the library’s trustee accounts toward materials and other expenses; trustees broke that contribution into specific trust sources on the record, including a $1,000 allocation from the Quimby Trust and an approximately $1,800 allocation from another library trust.
Library trustees confirmed the library’s no-fines policy remains in place. Staff said automatic renewals are operating as intended; items are auto-renewed twice when there are no holds, effectively extending checkouts to about six weeks in some cases. Trustees said trust balances are recorded in a separate trust fund (Fund 38) and revenues and expenditures are reconciled at year end.
Councilors asked questions about anticipated trust fund spending and whether the $17,000 contribution was reflected as revenue and expenditure in the budget documents; trustees and staff explained the accounting and reconciliation process. Trustees said the budget includes sustainment and materials costs and that the trustees remain focused on staff compensation and materials availability.
