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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 library levy. “If we were to take a route of a levy, we would be freeing up $450,000 from the general budget,” she said, adding that reallocating city funds could slow IT and facilities assistance for other departments.
The advisory board and foundation discussed the trade-offs. Foundation treasurer Mark Browning described the foundation’s financial position and what it can cover. “We have about $107,000 in our money market account,” Browning said, and noted the foundation’s endowment is roughly $290,000 with a goal to grow that to $1 million. Browning said the foundation has approved about $11,000 toward the makerspace and set aside $13,500 for seasonal employees; he also listed planned expenditures including a three-year LinkedIn Learning subscription ($2,500) and a $500 donation for holiday decorations.
Board members and foundation representatives emphasized that while the foundation can support programs and help run outreach for a levy, foundation resources are limited and do not replace the city’s responsibility for core operations and staffing. “The foundation is small change compared to the need that the library has right now,” David King said.
The board did not take a formal vote on a levy at this meeting. The chair opened and closed a voice vote to approve the minutes for a prior meeting (see “Votes at a glance” below). Board members said Pernia will present a more detailed budget and staffing proposal at the next meeting.
Votes at a glance: - Approval of minutes from 09/23/2025: motion made and seconded; chair called a voice vote, one member voiced “Aye,” and the chair declared the motion passed by voice vote. (No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.) - Motion to adjourn: made, seconded, and carried; meeting adjourned.
What happens next: Pernia said she will publish the detailed presentation and staffing calculations at the next advisory board meeting, where members expect to discuss the levy option, staffing scenarios and potential foundation involvement further.
