Library board president urges modest budget increase as council opens 2026 budget hearing

The Fond du Lac City Council opened a public hearing on the 2026 budget on Oct. 22, 2025, and heard a request from the president of the Fond du Lac Public Library board to increase the library's city funding to cover cost-of-living adjustments amid uncertain federal support.

Dusty Krico, who identified himself as president of the library board, told the council federal funding for libraries is threatened and said the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services has been targeted for elimination by the federal administration; he said federal funds historically make up 30% to 50% of most state library budgets and that Wisconsin's library funding amounted to $3,200,000 last year. Krico said the library had a reserve of $367,000 at the end of 2024 and that the proposed city budget would nearly halve that reserve while not including standard cost-of-living increases from the city.

Krico urged the council to consider at least a nominal increase to city funding for the library rather than starting with a 0% increase, which he called a dangerous precedent for future councils.

City Manager Mister Moore responded that he plans to confer with the incoming library director and the library board and revisit the matter in the first quarter of next year after the director transition is settled. Moore said he did not believe anything pressing required immediate action but acknowledged the accuracy of Krico's description of the library's finances.

The council took no vote on the budget at the hearing and closed the public hearing after asking whether any council members had questions. No other members of the public spoke during the budget hearing.

The exchange establishes council awareness of library concerns and a staff follow-up timeline rather than a direct budgetary change at the Oct. 22 meeting.