Inwood council approves 12% library budget increase and discusses rent accounting

The Inwood City Council on March 9 approved a 12% increase to the library’s 2025–26 budget and endorsed an additional increase for the 2026–27 projected budget after a request from Librarian Laura Olson.

Olson told the council she wants the library’s monthly $600 rent moved from the community center project budget into the library’s regular operating budget. Mary Stai, a library board member, joined Olson in presenting the request and the projected budget for 2026–27.

“(We) would like the rent expense to be included in the library budget,” Olson said, asking the council to approve the current-year increase and the additional increase for the coming fiscal year.

Council Member Mark Timmerman moved to approve the increase for the 2025–26 fiscal year and the additional increase for 2026–27; Jordan Huyser seconded the motion. The motion carried 4–0.

The council did not record further detail in the meeting minutes about the exact dollar totals of the revised budgets beyond the percentage change or about how the $600 monthly rent will be reallocated in the city’s accounting; Olson presented a projected 2026–27 budget but specifics were not included in the meeting record. The council’s approval authorizes staff to reflect the approved increases in the city’s budget documents and to follow up on the rent accounting change.

The next steps recorded were routine budget administrative work and any formal budget adoption steps to occur in subsequent council or budget hearings.