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Highland reviews library fund sustainability; consultant flags need for new revenue or cuts
Summary
City staff and trustees reviewed a preliminary financial model showing the library fundcould erode under current trends. Scenarios presented range from doing nothing to doubling the levy to cover expansion and long-term operations; council asked staff for follow-up analysis and options.
At a March 4 work session, Highland City Council members heard a financial sustainability study of the city library fund presented by an external consultant and Donna, the library director. The presentation reviewed baseline assumptions, operating shortfalls and several scenarios for funding ongoing operations, book replacement and a possible library expansion.
The consultant said the office modeled a conservative 2% annual growth in property-tax revenue for the library fund and a 2% annual increase in base operating costs. He outlined unfunded operating needs including moving a part-time collections manager to full time (roughly $40,000 annually), adding one part-time position (about $15,000), and a roughly $20,000 increase to align the director salary with comparable communities when the current director retires. For capital, the model included $61,000 in five-year phased replacement for worn books (about $12,000 per year)…
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