[PL-Directors] Staff Proposal for General Fund Budget Reductions

[Jim Scheppke]

Dear Directors:
Last week I notified you about Governor Kulongoski's direction to state agencies to submit plans to reduce their General Fund budgets by 4.5% in order to deal with a projected state revenue shortfall in the 2009-11 biennium. After I sent you this message on May 25th, the situation got slightly worse and our reduction target is now $156,780.

This message will inform you about the plan that the staff will present to the State Library Board at their meeting at the Seaside Public Library on June 11, 2010.

The staff will propose a plan to cut $37,938 from our personal services budget in Library Development Services, Talking Book and Braille Services, and Library Administrative Services. The remaining $118,842 will be taken from the budget for Ready to Read Grants for 2010-11 that will be distributed in December.

The proposed reduction to Ready to Ready Grants is 15% less than total we granted for 2009-11. Because smaller libraries are guaranteed a $1,000 minimum grant, most larger libraries would see a 17% reduction in 2010-11. The overall grant budget would be reduced from 94¢ per child to 79¢ per child.

Attached is a spreadsheet that has two tabs. The first shows a comparison of the proposed grants for 2010-11 to those libraries received in 2009-11. The second tab has the detailed distribution. Keep in mind that this spreadsheet is using population and square mileage figures from last year. We are currently updating these figures.

After the Board decides on a plan for budget reductions on June 11th the plan will be submitted to the Governor's Office. What happens next is unclear. There are some legislators who are interested in holding a special session to balance the state budget later in the year. We may not know for several months whether the reductions the Board proposes will be made or modified. We will keep you informed as the process unfolds.

We would be happy to take your comments about this to the State Library Board meeting on June 11th. You can email your comments to MaryKay Dahlgreen <marykay.dahlgreen at state.or.us>. If you would like to come to the meeting at the Seaside Public Library, there will be an Open Forum that is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.  The Board would be glad to hear your comments at the Open Forum.

Please let me or MaryKay know if you have any questions about the staff proposal for budget reductions.

Jim Scheppke, State Librarian
Oregon State Library
250 Winter St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-378-4367
(fax) 503-585-8059
jim.b.scheppke at state.or.us

[cid:3358406913_575351]Go Green, Keep it on screen - think before you print.


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