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Council reviews financial impact of additional library staff
3/21/2012 9:05:13 AM
By Kelly Moore
Splash Staff Writer
The Liberty Lake City Council reviewed budget projections Tuesday night in consideration of potential staff additions to the Municipal Library. The review came, in part, as a response to the Feb. 21 request from Library Board President John Loucks for an additional $36,000 to be added to the library's budget to bump a current a half-time librarian to full-time and add a part-time clerk.
Finance Director RJ Stevenson presented a forecast that included the requested funding for the library and how it impacts city finances moving forward. In the forecast, the city is projected with a surplus for 2012 through 2014. Assuming all projections on the forecast hold true, beginning in 2015 a potential deficit arises.
"Keeping in mind these are just projections and we're three years out, we would have to react to something like this if everything on this forecast held true," Stevenson said.
Council member Cris Kaminskas voiced concern over the projections, noting the inclusion of the utility tax revenue through 2018. Advertisement
"We've said from the very beginning that the utility tax was meant to be a kind of band aid," Kaminskas said. "We have a responsibility to the citizens to get rid of that."
Schuler echoed her sentiment, saying she had a hard time agreeing to additional staffing at the library. She cited comparisons to other regional libraries based on personal research.
A memo to the Council from Stevenson also noted that citizens outside the City of Liberty Lake that are part of the Spokane County Library District are being assessed the full pay levied property taxes at a rate of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, while Liberty Lake residents pay 43 cents per $1,000. He said the rate has decreased over the years due to rising property values.
No Council decisions were made on the matter.
In other business:
• Representatives from Canfield Insurance Association of Washington presented information on risk management programs available to the city.
• Stevenson told the Council the utility tax rebate program refunded a total of $231 to area seniors. He also noted the income limits in the program – determined as 50 percent of the median income for the area – actually reflected what HUD considers "very low income." Low income is considered to be 80 percent of the area median income. An amendment to the ordinance establishing the program will be drafted for Council consideration.
• An open house will be held at City Hall March 28 to discuss information on the city civic center proposed as a development on the city's 6.4 acre lot at Appleway Avenue and Signal Road. No time for the event was given. Call the city at 755-6700 for more information.
• The April 3 City Council meeting was canceled, and the next meeting is scheduled for April 17.
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