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Weiss Library seeks $245,000 from Sawyer County; county staff explain statutory reimbursement formula
Summary
Officials reviewed preliminary budget requests for Weiss and Winter libraries. Weiss requested $245,000, well above the statutory formula amount reported as $122,508; Winter requested to maintain $78,253, the formula amount.
County staff presented preliminary budget requests and strategic‑planning items for libraries that receive Sawyer County support, focusing on Weiss Library and Winter Library.
The Weiss Library requested $245,000 for the coming year, an increase of $35,000 compared with the $210,000 the county provided last year and roughly double the statutory reimbursement formula, which staff reported as $122,508. The county’s statutory “unit cost” formula was described as expenses divided by physical checkouts for the prior reporting year; staff said the formula for 2026 is based on 2024 figures. The presenter explained that Weiss’s expenses fell in 2024 while circulation rose, which reduced the unit‑cost formula number even as the library’s requested amount stayed higher.
Winter Library asked to maintain funding at $78,253, which staff described as its formula amount and said has been stable for several years. Staff explained that a 2019 change to a joint library arrangement reduced the county’s out‑of‑county reimbursement obligations, which lowered Winter’s formula amount even though the county has historically funded both Winter and Weiss above the statutory threshold.
Committee members asked for clarification on how the statutory regulated amount is calculated; staff reiterated it is calculated from DPI annual reports and uses prior‑year expenses and physical checkout counts (excluding digital checkouts such as Libby). A committee member noted Weiss’s request is roughly double the formula amount; staff confirmed the county has at times supplemented the formula amount and cited one year when ARPA funds were used to increase the Weiss allocation.
The review was labeled a preliminary look; staff said they had received required documentation from the libraries, including balance sheets and 2026 budgets. No county action or vote on library funding was taken at the meeting; the requests were presented for the committee’s information ahead of formal budget deliberations.
Ending: Staff will include these requests in the preliminary budget materials and committee members may ask further questions at upcoming budget meetings.
