Palm Springs trustees warned deep cuts to materials budget will limit book purchases before 2027 reopening

Library Director Jeannie Kays told the Palm Springs Library Board of Trustees on April 9 that citywide reductions by the finance department cut the library’s materials-and-supplies bottom line for 2025–26 to $327,977 from a requested $476,650. She said the amount originally authorized was $421,650 before the later cuts.

"The books budget was originally $142,000, but now it's $126,000," Kays said, and she warned that the proposed budget for FY 2026–27 would reduce the book allocation again to about $86,000. She identified a $50,000 item that was not approved (funding for an anniversary celebration and rebranding) and a $5,000 reduction in computer equipment. To balance the current year, Kays said she transferred $41,600 from other line items.

Kays also reported $269,000 in year-to-date spending and $169,000 in encumbrances; she said roughly $62,000 of those encumbrances appear to have been carried forward from the prior year in error and that she will ask finance to correct the encumbrance total so the available balance reflects actual obligations. (The transcript contains a minor inconsistency in the encumbrance-error figure, which was spoken as both about $62,500 and about $62,000; the director said she would request an adjustment of about $62,000.)

City Manager Scott Stiles, who attended the meeting, said the city uses a two‑year budgeting approach and that mid‑year continuation adjustments will be considered by the city. "I've asked Jeannie to sit down with our finance director and Teresa [Gallivan, assistant city manager] and come up with what's a reasonable amount of adjustment that you need for supplies and books," Stiles said, adding that the goal is to ensure the library is stocked when the new building opens in early 2027.

Trustees pressed Kays and city staff on whether collapsing nine prior line items into one materials-and-supplies account made the library more vulnerable to cuts. Several trustees argued books and programming are core services and should be separated from administrative supplies; Stiles suggested regrouping the combined account into fewer but clearer categories (for example, programming versus administrative) and recommended Kays discuss options with finance.

Next steps: Kays will meet with the finance director and Assistant City Manager Teresa Gallivan; the board expects a report at the next meeting after mid‑year budget adjustments are prepared. The board did not take a formal vote on new spending authority at the April 9 meeting.