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Citrus County library director warns of 22–32% revenue drop if homestead-exemption measure passes; outlines staffing and service risks
Summary
The library director told the advisory board a proposed homestead-exemption increase on the November ballot could reduce county collections by an estimated 22% in 2027–28 and 32% in 2028–29; he said personnel is 63% of the library budget and significant adjustments would be required if the projections hold.
At the June meeting of the Citrus County Special Library System Advisory Board, the library director (Adam) told board members the county is preparing for possible budget impacts tied to a proposed increase in the homestead exemption that will appear on the November ballot and requires a 60% approval threshold.
"If it does pass, this impacts the 2027 and 2028 budget," Adam said, presenting the county's latest projection that showed a 22% reduction in collections in 2027–28 and a 32% reduction in 2028–29. He emphasized nothing is decided yet and the projections have changed in recent updates, but said staff needed to begin scenario planning now.
Adam reviewed the library's current fiscal-year budget of $5,594,085 and explained revenue sources: about $5 million comes from property taxes (roughly 96% collection rate), with the remainder from donations, reimbursements, printing fees and reserves. He said personnel costs account for roughly 63% of the budget (about $3.5 million for 55 staff, including 38 full-time and 16 part-time positions) while operations make up the remainder. The library also maintains a general reserve and a restricted reserve (about $141,000 earmarked for capital items such as HVAC replacements).
The director noted the Board of County Commissioners has enacted a hiring freeze through Sept. 30, 2026, for positions funded by ad valorem taxes unless they are deemed central to operations and approved through a county process. He said the library does not currently anticipate immediate new hires before that date.
Board members asked whether certain services, such as IT or custodial work, could be absorbed by county departments to save costs. Adam replied that some library-specific proprietary software and discounts (for example through TechSoup) make direct absorption by county IT less straightforward and that relying on county services could erode on-site responsiveness. He pointed to incremental savings already achieved, such as converting lighting to LED in larger branches.
Adam said the library will continue developing budget projections and bring a more detailed budget for the board to review in August. He also noted that the consultant group Rethinking Libraries will present its findings to the Board of County Commissioners on July 14; staff will circulate the full report when available.
The advisory board took no formal fiscal action at the meeting; the director framed the presentation as informational and an initial planning step to allow the board and staff time to explore options if the ballot measure passes.
