Carmel Public Library trustees review proposed 2025–26 budget as city council considers cuts that could affect hours and staffing

At a meeting of the Carmel-by-the-Sea Library Board of Trustees, library staff presented a proposed fiscal year 2025–26 line‑item budget and outlined areas of uncertainty, including interest income, subscription costs and potential city council reductions that could affect staffing and weekend hours.

Library staff said the draft projects about $430,000 in total income for 2025–26, an increase of roughly $1,500 from the current year, and described several revenue and cost variables that could change the final numbers. “We arrived at $25,000 in estimated interest income for the next fiscal year,” the staff member said, and noted an anticipated $35,000 contribution from the Friends of the Library and a standing request to the Carmel Public Library Foundation at the same level as the prior year.

The budget presentation stressed why the draft matters: decisions on interest assumptions, foundation and friends’ support, IT upgrades and e‑resource subscriptions will shape staffing and services next year. Trustees discussed possible budget directions and asked staff for additional detail before final adoption.

Discussion highlights

- Interest and other income: Staff said interest receipts have been variable post‑pandemic and the draft assumes $25,000 in interest income for 2025–26. Staff described the Friends of the Library as performing well and added an estimated $5,000 over current levels, for $35,000 total from that source in the draft.

- Ov…