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Jake Wood outlines library budget and seeks modest 4% levy increase ahead of vote
Summary
At the April 9 board meeting Jake Wood presented the local library’s operating budget (~$600,000), said last year’s voter-approved levy ($511,000) stabilized operations, and requested a roughly 4% levy increase to cover rising costs; he warned reduced federal support for digital acquisitions could affect titles available on Libby/Hoopla.
Jake Wood told the Saranac Lake Central School District Board on April 9 that the local library’s operating budget is about $600,000 and that last year’s voter-approved tax levy (about $511,000, received in the fall) has helped stabilize operations.
Wood said roughly two-thirds of the budget covers staffing, employee benefits and taxes, with collections and programming the principal controllable items. He said the library is proposing a modest 4% levy increase — roughly a $530,000 levy figure he described as “$530ish” — that would be before voters in an upcoming vote and would help offset rising costs and a projected funding gap that the library expects to cover in part through membership drives, an annual appeal and book sales.
“Last year we were tremendously fortunate to have the voters approve a substantial increase to the library's tax levy,” Wood said. “That really kind of assured our sustainable future and lessened the amount of fundraising we'd have to do on a daily basis to offset our operational expenses.”
Wood highlighted service and usage trends: building attendance was at an all-time high in 2024 (he cited almost 60,000 visits for the year) and digital circulation now accounts for roughly a third of total circulation. To support digital demand the library has subscribed to services such as Hoopla and OverDrive/Libby.
Wood also raised a funding concern: recent cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), he said, could reduce the flow of titles into digital platforms. “Patrons using a lot of that will notice the lack of newer titles potentially,” he said, adding that most federal funds flow through the state library and on to local systems.
On capital work, Wood said the library has received nearly $300,000 across recent grant cycles, which funded solar panels, LED lighting upgrades, climate control improvements and technology upgrades to the community room. He said those grants come through the state education department and related authorities and that future cycles are uncertain.
Wood closed by thanking the board for support and answering questions about levy language and program usage; the board did not take a vote on the levy at this meeting. The library’s proposed levy increase will appear on the upcoming public ballot (date noted by presenters as April 29 for related votes), and voters will decide whether to approve the change.
