Hayward-area libraries tell Sawyer County they need stable funding to maintain hours and services

Anne Larson, director of the Sherman and Ruth Weitz Community Library, and Donna McNucky, director of the Winter Public Library, told the Sawyer County committee that both libraries are serving more patrons while operating with fewer staff and uncertain capital reserves.

Larson said the Sherman and Ruth Weitz library welcomed more than 58,000 visitors last year — a 10% increase over 2023 — and hosted nearly 4,700 people at 245 programs. "Our library is the heart of our community," Larson said, adding that many patrons use the building daily for quiet study, telehealth visits and meetings. She said Sawyer County provides just over half of the library's operating budget and that the library has no municipal support from the City of Hayward, which makes it the only Wisconsin library without municipal financial support in the county.

McNucky said Winter Public Library is finalizing a strategic plan and capital improvement list and is not asking for a budget increase for the coming year but is projecting adjustments within its current budget to absorb rising costs. She described recent repairs and near-term capital needs, including recurring plumbing and automatic-door repairs and a bridge and pier repair she estimated at about $10,000 to $12,000.

Both directors described constrained staffing. Larson said the Sherman library's full-time-equivalent (FTE) staffing fell from 6.63 in 2011 to 5 in 2024 and that staff pay has not kept pace with local wages; she cited one example of a staff member earning about $15 per hour versus $17 for a local cashier. Larson said public donations made up about 25% of her 2024 budget and that the Hayward Library Foundation has built a $1 million endowment toward a $2 million goal; the foundation granted $32,000 to the library in 2025 and hopes ultimately to contribute up to $80,000 annually once the endowment target is reached.

Committee members pressed for clarity on what funding at different levels would mean for services. In response to questions from Tom Duffy, Larson said that if the library returned to a baseline county formula it likely would have to cut hours and staff and reduce program offerings that currently rely on Friends of the Library and private donations. "If we would go down to the 130 or say if you were at 100% about, I think it's about 160, 170,000, 170. We probably have to cut hours," Larson said.

Public commenter Linda Zilmer, a Birchwood resident, praised local library financial literacy programs and urged the county to consider forums to connect residents to services and to examine homelessness and affordable housing issues raised at recent regional gatherings. "I think that needs to be a priority," Zilmer said during the public-comments portion of the meeting.

County staff and several committee members said they sympathize with the libraries' needs but noted broader county budget pressures. One committee member said the library levy is outside the county's levy limit and that any additional county contribution would show up on property tax bills. County staff recommended a funding level lower than the libraries’ full request, citing the need for internal belt-tightening across departments.

Directors said they continue to pursue municipal partnerships and alternative revenue sources, and they warned that without additional, stable funding they would need to use capital reserves or make service cuts. Larson said pursuing municipal agreements to become a multi-municipality library is possible but would take time and could impose new staffing requirements on future directors.

The committee did not take a final funding vote during this meeting; the discussion will inform the upcoming budget and a public hearing where libraries will present their formal requests.