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Lake Agassiz Regional Library asks Polk County for $28,000 to bolster frontline pay
Summary
Lake Agassiz Regional Library asked Polk County for an additional $28,000 in 2026 to sustain wage increases for frontline staff and avoid cutting hours at local branches, citing circulation and service demand across the region.
Liz, director of Lake Agassiz Regional Library, asked the Polk County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday to increase the county’s 2026 contribution by $28,000 to keep pace with recent union-negotiated pay increases for frontline staff.
The request, presented with regional circulation data and program examples, is intended to help the library retain staff and maintain services across its 22 locations serving seven counties. Liz told commissioners the regional system is “busier than ever,” and noted Polk County alone accounted for more than 100,000 checkouts and tens of thousands of ebook downloads this year.
The library has used reserves to cover recent, larger pay increases, Liz said, but that approach is “not sustainable.” She reminded the board that a joint-powers agreement requires signatories to maintain a minimum contribution and warned that any shortfall could mean reduced hours or closing locations in Polk County. Liz also described a planned move of regional headquarters and clarified that the 2026 increase request is intended for wages, not facilities.
Commissioners asked for a breakdown of the maintenance-of-effort calculation and the net difference between the statutory MOE baseline and the actual joint-powers commitment; Liz cited a maintenance-of-effort figure near $181,000 and said the joint‑powers agreement supersedes the MOE baseline. Commissioners noted the library’s partnership with the Crookston Family Resource Center and the library’s plan to duplicate that model in smaller Polk County communities.
After questions, commissioners thanked Liz and left the request for inclusion in the budget-review process. No final appropriation was decided at the meeting; staff will carry the library’s request forward as part of the county’s tentative 2026 levy and budget discussions.
The next step is for administration to slot the request into the preliminary levy discussion and return any follow-up cost-detail to the board before a final levy is set.
