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Budget committee approves Klamath County Library Service District budget after public praise
Summary
The Klamath County Budget Committee approved the Library Service District’s FY27 budget, including $670,000 in reserve expenditures for facility projects, plans for a community courtyard, and an ad valorem tax; public commenters urged continued support for library programs.
Natalie Nebu, who introduced herself as the library/labor director for the Klamath County Library Service District, presented the district’s FY27 operating and reserve plans and answered questions during a public hearing April 28. Nebu said the district operates 11 locations, provides free Wi‑Fi and public computers across branches, and recorded substantial use in 2025: about 361,800 physical circulations, 81,351 digital items, and roughly 231,000 visits.
Nebu outlined district priorities for the 2026–27 budget cycle: facility maintenance and improvements, technology replacement, community programming, partnerships and collection development. A community courtyard project supported by a matching grant and library‑foundation contribution was described as a major reserve investment, with construction anticipated in late spring 2026. The district budgeted $670,000 in reserve expenditures that Nebu described as allocated roughly as $10,000 for building maintenance, $120,000 for grounds, $80,000 for computer replacement, and $460,000 for facility improvements tied to the courtyard project.
During public comment, Elaine (a resident and library volunteer) urged the committee to support the library’s budget, describing the facility as a community center with programs ranging from children’s story hours to teen activities. Ken Bast, identified as chair of the library foundation, also praised branch usage and asked the committee to continue funding the system.
The budget committee moved to approve the Klamath County Library Service District budget for fiscal year 2627 (the record lists the budget sum as stated in the hearing). The committee also approved the imposition of the district ad valorem tax at the rate and estimated fiscal impact recorded in the hearing. The motions were seconded and passed with vocal assent; the transcript does not include a roll‑call tally by name.
Next steps: staff will finalize the adopted budget documents and tax certification for the library district.
