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Library director Electra Brandman presents 2027 budget; council approves plan and discusses $50,000 annual capital target
Summary
Director Electra Brandman described higher usage and a proposed 4.7% budget increase to fund digital services and capital planning; the council voted to approve the librarys proposed 2027 budget and discussed a $50,000-per-year capital target split between city and county.
Electra Brandman, library director, presented a performance update and the proposed 2027 budget to the work session, saying the library served more than 46,000 visitors last year and had about 4,000 visitors in June.
"The trends I'm sharing are reflecting a library that's responsive to changing community needs," Brandman said, noting that more than half of Cook County residents are registered library members and that summer-reading participation (as of July 8) included more than 115 children.
The proposed 2027 budget shows a 4.7% overall increase, a presenter stated, driven primarily by a projected 10% rise in health insurance costs and a 3% cost-of-living adjustment. Brandman said the budget would fund a pilot of Hoopla to expand ebook and audio access and to introduce streaming music and video.
Brandman and trustees highlighted long-term capital needs. She said the librarys boilers are about 15 years old and recommended proactive replacement to avoid emergency failures. Trustee Craig Schulte told the meeting the trustees propose building a capital account financed by a gradual annual levy contribution, aiming for about $50,000 a year split between the city and the county to pay for projects such as boiler replacement.
A council member moved to approve the 2027 library budget and the presiding officer seconded. A voice vote recorded five "Aye" responses in the transcript and the chair declared the budget approved for 2027. No recorded roll-call showing individual yes/no votes appears in the transcript.
Brandman and trustees said they will continue capital planning and seek options including electrification, contractor assessments and potential rebates.
