PORT ANGELES — A deficit of $176,000 for the North Olympic Library System in 2010 will likely lead to layoffs, unpaid furloughs, cutbacks in employee benefits or a combination of those and other measures.
“This kind of shortfall would almost certainly mean laying off staff, which in turn almost certainly means a reduction in hours,” said Paula Barnes, library director.
“This would be about the equivalent of four full-time positions.”
Barnes said the cutbacks would be spread across the system, which has libraries from Sequim to Forks and Clallam Bay.
The budget of about $3.1 million will be the topic of a public hearing today at 5 p.m. in the Raymond Carver Room at the Port Angeles branch, 2210 S. Peabody St.
Anyone can speak up and say what he or she thinks of the proposed cuts or make suggestions, Barnes said.
The system will ask the employees’ union to approve paid furloughs and benefit rollbacks to reduce the need for layoffs, Barnes said.
“What that would mean is that for two, one-week periods, the employees would be on unpaid leave and the entire library system would go dark,” she said.
“We would try to spread them out, again, to soften the impact on those that use the library.”
The budget for the library system in 2009 was $3,082,813 and the proposed budget for 2010 is $3,139,102.
That budget is about $176,000 under what the library currently expects to need for the year.
“About 93 percent of the library’s revenue comes from property taxes,” Barnes said.
“A combination of the 1 percent cap on how much we can raise each year through taxes and the fact that inflation has averaged 2.8 percent every year for the past eight years has lead to the necessity of this situation.
“Every year for the past eight years, we’ve shaved a little here and then absorbed a little there, but there is only so much shaving off you can do and so much absorbing before you reach the point to where we are now.”
Future uncertain
Barnes said the situation for next year will have to be dealt with immediately, but the distant future is also a concern.
“The larger picture here is that we can’t continue on like this,” Barnes said.
“What do to for future years will certainly be part of the conversation on Thursday night.
“And that will certainly include going to the voters and asking for an increase in taxes in the form of a levy lid lift.”
The benefits rollback might include not reimbursing employees for wellness programs they participate in — that along with other benefit cutbacks would save about $30,000.
“That would mean some combination of that with layoffs or the furloughs would reduce the number of layoffs necessary,” Barnes said.
“The board may also consider looking at transferring some money from a reserve fund that we hold for roof and vehicle repairs to make up the difference.
“In all likelihood it will be a combination of all of these ideas.”
Public comments can also be submitted by e-mailing LibraryBoard@nols.org or by phoning Barnes at 360-417-8525.
Formal adoption of the budget is scheduled for the 5 p.m. Nov. 19 meeting, also at the Port Angeles branch.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
