West Fargo library board approves preliminary FY2026 budget with conservative staffing assumptions

The City of West Fargo Public Library Board approved the library’s preliminary FY2026 budget during the May 8 meeting, a plan the director described as conservative and largely budget-neutral when accounting for recent staffing moves.

Jenna (Library Director) walked the board through budget and actual figures from FY2022–FY2025 and the projected FY2026 numbers. She flagged the health insurance line as inflated in the preliminary numbers because of a staff member’s family elections; the director said the actual number is expected to be lower. She also said line-item shifts by the city finance department (for example, moving building rental to a consolidated lease and rental line) change presentation but not total spending.

The director noted that in prior years there was a roughly $200,000 difference between budget and actual spending and said much of that variance stemmed from staffing turnover; she said the library now appears more stable. The final bottom-line change in the preliminary FY2026 budget was presented as less than a 3% increase from the prior year.

Board members asked about the persistent budget-to-actual variance and staffing assumptions; the director said she expects less turnover and that the city finance office is working to rein in some lines such as health insurance. The board approved the preliminary budget by voice vote; the transcript records no roll-call tallies.