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Resident urges Menomonee Falls to restore library funding as board reallocates $300,000
Summary
At the Nov. 17 meeting Peggy Haas told trustees cuts to the Menomonee Falls Library will harm seniors, teens and residents with disabilities. The board approved a budget that shifts $300,000 from the library levy to general funds to add two police officers.
Peggy Haas told the Menomonee Falls Village Board during public comment on Nov. 17 that the village library provides vital services beyond books — from a memory cafe for seniors to tech help for residents with severe visual impairments — and urged trustees to "please really consider total funding for the library." She said cuts to licensing, computers, staff and hours would harm people who depend on the library as a social and technical lifeline.
Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald explained during the budget presentation that the board elected to move $300,000 from the library levy into the general levy to support two full‑time police officers. Fitzgerald said that shift reduced library property tax revenue by about 14.2% and that total library revenue declined by $269,000; personnel costs fell roughly $200,000, operations dropped around $30,000 and maintenance decreased about $46,000 as part of balancing the library's budget.
Haas described programs the library runs for seniors and teens and said the library's services — including a memory cafe and tech assistance — are essential for caregivers and residents with limited mobility or vision. "If there had been a memory cafe program available to me at that time, it's, I don't know what I would have done for it," Haas said.
The board adopted the overall 2026 budget and levy, which includes the $300,000 transfer from the library levy; the ordinance was moved by Trustee Paul Tada, seconded by Trustee Joel Stuhland and passed unanimously.
Next steps: library staff and the library board will operate under the reduced levy for fiscal year 2026. The village will post the complete budget documents for public review.
