Kitsap Regional Library reports 2024 surplus, approves capital budget items and cancels $31,847 in inactive fees

Kitsap Regional Library officials told the Board of Trustees the system ended 2024 with operating savings and approved two resolutions: one to authorize capital investments and another to cancel $31,847.22 in uncollected fees tied to inactive patron accounts.

Dan Baer, Deputy Director and Chief Financial and Operating Officer, said the library reports finances on a cash basis and ended 2024 with about a half-million dollars in savings in the operations plan, offset by roughly $150,000 in property-tax revenue shortfalls, yielding about $350,000 in net savings. He said capital expenditures for 2024 of about $279,000 were funded from those savings so the library did not need to dip into reserves.

"We ended the year with about 3 and a half million in general operations investments...and we ended our financial revenue reserves at also [about] $150,000," Baer said, summarizing year-end cash positions and short-term investment levels.

Board members then considered a capital-resolution package. Baer said the capital list includes building and equipment investments and an augmentation of the materials budget with $100,000 for digital resources. A trustee moved to approve the capital resolution (recorded in the minutes as Resolution 2025/01). The motion was seconded and the board approved the resolution by voice vote; the chair declared the motion carried.

Later in new business, staff presented a separate resolution to cancel uncollected fees. Mike Rose, Director of Information Technology and Facilities Maintenance, explained the annual cleanup process the system uses to remove long-inactive patron records and cancel associated balances. "We look back through our ILS system and take an accumulated total of all the patrons who have been completely inactive...for the past seven years," Rose told trustees. He said this year’s search identified 520 inactive patron accounts with a combined $31,847.22 in fees the system will cancel because the accounts are unlikely to be collectible.

A motion to approve the cancellation resolution (recorded in the minutes as Resolution 2025/02) passed by voice vote; the chair declared the motion carried.

During his report, Executive Director Jason (first name only in the meeting transcript) reviewed system achievements from 2024 and strategic priorities for 2025, including restoring pre-pandemic service hours and planning for a ballot measure to stabilize long-term funding. Jason told trustees circulation rose 5% systemwide, digital downloads increased about 21% and printing services grew 28%, while new registrations declined significantly. He said staff and trustees will continue work on a ballot proposal to address funding for the next decade and that the library will mark its 80th anniversary with events planned for the year.

No roll-call vote totals were recorded in the transcript for those resolutions beyond the board's voice votes; the minutes record the motions, seconds and that each motion "carried."