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Kitchigami warns 40% levy cut would sharply reduce Bemidji library hours; asks Beltrami County for $81,000
Summary
Kitchigami Regional Library System representatives told the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 that a county decision to reduce the 2026 levy from KRLS’s requested amount to the state‑mandated maintenance of effort (MOE) would amount to about a 40% funding cut and would trigger significant service reductions at local branches, most notably the Bemidji Public Library.
Kitchigami Regional Library System representatives told the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 that a county decision to reduce the 2026 levy from KRLS’s requested amount to the state‑mandated maintenance of effort (MOE) would amount to about a 40% funding cut and would trigger significant service reductions at local branches, most notably the Bemidji Public Library.
Melissa, a Kitchigami Regional Library System representative, said the MOE is a legally required minimum set by the state in 2011 and has not increased with inflation. ‘‘If we take the full impact of that MOE reduction . . . you’re looking at some very significant reductions in the county, both at our Black Duck Library and our Bemidji Library,’’ Melissa said. She told the board that branch libraries must meet a 20‑hour minimum to remain eligible for regional library telecommunications aid, limiting how much…
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