Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Library staff tell advisory board a $1.42M levy or reallocated funds are needed to restore hours and staffing
Summary
Belgrade library staff told the advisory board that a proposed $1,416,718 levy (or reallocation of $450,000 from the city general fund plus $350,000 for staffing) is needed to cover operating shortfalls driven by a larger new facility, staffing shortages and rising costs; board members urged careful messaging and no levy date has been set.
At a meeting of the Belgrade Community Library Advisory Board, library staff presented usage gains and a funding shortfall and recommended pursuing a $1,416,718 levy or seeking general-fund reallocation to cover operations, staff wages and expanded programs.
The presenter told the board that after reopening on April 5 the library saw a large rise in visits — "in April we had over 13,000 visits" — and had about 1,400 new library card sign-ups from January through October. The facility is now roughly 26,000 square feet but the staff roster is nine people (down from about 10 at the prior 9,000-square-foot facility), and the library currently offers 36 hours of public service per week. The presenter said the Montana State Library public-library standards recommend a minimum of 40 hours and a desirable target of 50–60 hours…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
