Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Belgrade library leaders flag staffing shortfall, weigh levy and foundation support
Summary
The Belgrade Community Library director told the advisory board the library has doubled patron traffic since moving into a larger facility and faces staffing and budget shortfalls; the foundation outlined available reserves and possible campaign support if the city pursues a levy.
Elena Pernia, director of the Belgrade Community Library, told the advisory board that the library’s move from a roughly 9,000-square-foot building to a 26,000-square-foot facility has more than doubled usage and stretched existing staff and budgets.
“We have around 1,000 to 2,000 people participating in programs on a monthly basis,” Pernia said, and she reported 11,454 visits and 2,279 program participants in October. Pernia said staffing dropped from 10 employees to nine and that the library needs roughly $350,000 to increase staffing to a total of 16 positions.
Pernia presented two funding paths: reallocating city funds to increase staffing or pursuing a…
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
