Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Library district budget approved for TSCC review; levy rate held at $1.22 per $1,000
Summary
The board approved the Multnomah County Library District’s proposed FY 2026 budget for submission to TSCC on May 8, locking in a $1.22 per $1,000 assessed‑value levy rate and a $123.2 million transfer for library operations.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on May 8 to approve the Multnomah County Library District’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget for submittal to the Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission. Commissioner Singleton moved and Commissioner Moyer seconded the library resolution; the roll call returned aye votes from Commissioners Moyer, Singleton, Brim Edwards, Jones Dixon and Chair Vega Peterson.
Library Director Annie Lewis and the library’s finance and facilities director, Katie Shifle, presented the district proposal and said the budget would transfer $123.2 million to support library operations in FY 2026. The presenters said the district plans a levy rate of $1.22 per $1,000 of assessed value, below the voter‑approved maximum of $1.24 per $1,000.
Lewis said the rate decision balances near‑term operating needs with long‑term structural pressures; the district presented a manageable set of reductions and said staff will return during the library budget work session on May 29 to review details. “We’re confident that this is the right approach,” Katie Shifle said, describing the trade‑offs between raising rates and using other balancing tools.
Public comment on the library resolution was brief. A public speaker raised questions about contingency levels and cash‑flow timing for municipal budgets and urged stronger outcome tracking for homelessness investments; the speaker also questioned why the library district did not raise its levy to the voter cap.
Vote and next steps: The board approved the district’s proposed budget and directed staff to submit the package to TSCC by May 15 to meet Oregon budget‑law timelines. The library will present detailed budget work‑session materials to the board on May 29; any amendments or final adoption will follow the county’s overall budget timeline.
Key figures from the presentation: $123.2 million planned transfer to the County Library Fund for FY 2026; levy rate set at $1.22 per $1,000 of assessed value (voter max $1.24); net change in library FTE compared with FY 2025 adopted budget: effectively a 4 FTE increase after foundation adjustments, the presenters said.
The action is procedural: approving the district’s proposed budget allows transmission to TSCC and constrains some later changes under the 10% per‑fund threshold described in the county budget presentation.
