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St. Helens library to cut staff hours after city budget shortfall; three assistants laid off
Summary
The library director told the board the citybudget shortfall requires laying off three part-time library assistants (effective June 21), cutting materials and programs and reducing open hours; the mayor said a $24 ballot fee would restore reserves but not fully avert cuts.
Suzanne, the St. Helens library director, told the board on April 13 that the library must lay off three part-time library assistants because of a city general-fund shortfall, and their last day will be June 21. "We had to lay off all three of our library assistants last week. Their last day will be June 21st," she said.
The director said the three positions amount to about $100,000 a year in payroll and represent roughly 60 desk hours a week now lost from public service. She described a range of program and materials reductions planned to balance the library budget, including a roughly 40% cut to materials purchasing (from about $32,000 to $23,500), a reduction in audio materials funding, scaled-back projects…
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