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Salt Lake City Library proposes $53.2M FY27 budget, outlines $40M bond option for Anderson‑Foothill and Day‑Riverside projects
Summary
Library leadership presented a FY27 budget of $53,193,189 (23% increase), no immediate property‑tax increase proposed, and an LBA bond path that would fund a $40M package to rebuild Anderson Foothill and expand Day‑Riverside; the library said a FY28 tax increase of about $6M would be needed under that scenario.
Salt Lake City Public Library leaders presented their proposed FY27 budget and a capital plan aimed at addressing deferred maintenance and rebuilding high‑need branches.
Noah Baskett, the library's chief executive, told the council the proposed budget total is $53,193,189 — about $10 million (23 percent) higher than FY26 — driven in part by increased pass‑throughs, capital spending and collectively bargained wage increases. "The total proposed budget for this fiscal year is $53,193,189," Baskett said.
Library staff emphasized that no property‑tax increase is included in the FY27 proposal but that the library is studying financing options for capital projects. The library outlined two financing paths: a larger general‑obligation bond that could include a full‑size Ballpark branch, and a more focused local building authority (LBA) bond to fund the Anderson Foothill rebuild and Day‑Riverside renovation. The LBA scenario described would carry a $40 million bond and, staff said, result in an estimated $6 million tax increase in FY28 (half to service the bond and half to cover increased operations tied to the new facilities).
Library staff said they have already begun community engagement and launched a capital campaign and a foundation to help offset costs; staff also reported increases in foot traffic, circulation and new card signups year over year. Council members asked about timing, interest‑rate differences between GO and LBA bonds, and how the library would phase construction and staffing if a bond is approved. Library staff said they plan to return with more refined financing scenarios and concept designs for the Ballpark branch.
