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2020 Budget

2020 Adopted Budget Information

On December 19, 2019, the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Board of Trustees adopted the Library’s 2020 Budget.  Previously, on December 5th, the Erie County Legislature adopted a 2020 County Budget with amendments.  The Legislature supported the Library’s allocation and while they approved amendments in other parts of the County Budget, none changed the County Executive’s 2020 Budget allocation for the Library.

The 2020 Operating and Grants Budget sustains library operations and services at current levels. Further, it incorporates the impacts of contractually obligated costs related to current labor agreements; and those approved for unrepresented and managerial/confidential employees via previous Board Resolutions. Current agreements provide for modest wage adjustments as well as employee contributions towards the cost of health care and provisions limiting the employer share of both active and retiree health care costs over the longer term. The Library’s overall operating budget, including State Aid and library revenue, increases 2.6% from 2019’s $28,485,469 to $29,230,087 in 2020.  Including grants, the combined total also increases 2.6% from 2019’s $29,176,921 to $29,921,887 in 2020.

While not part of the Library’s operating budget, the County’s Capital Budget provides $500,000 to support improvements to the county-owned downtown Central Library; specifically, $250,000 to address building exterior envelop and site rehabilitation and related needs and $250,000 for continued rehabilitation of the 50+ year old building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

For more information about the Library’s 2020 Budget please see:
2020 B&ECPL Adopted Budget Document (Click Here)
2020 B&ECPL Adopted Budget by Cost Center (Click Here)

 

2020 Proposed Budget – 11/12/2019 Budget Hearing

On Tuesday November 12, 2019, B&ECPL Board Vice Chair Alan Bedenko, Esq., Library Director Mary Jean Jakubowski and CFO Ken Stone presented an overview of the Library’s 2020 budget request to the Erie County Legislature’s Finance & Management/Budget Committee and answered legislators’ questions.

The budget presentation text may be viewed by clicking this link: 2020 Budget Hearing Presentation Text (Click Here)

2020 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Charts and Graphs (Click Here)

2020 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Line Item Detail (Click Here)

2020 Proposed Budget

On Tuesday October 1, 2019 Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz released his 2020 Proposed Budget.

The Library appreciates Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s support in recommending a county funding increase of $498,219 (2.0%) to libraries in his 2020 Proposed Budget through funds generated by growth in the equalized full value property tax base.  As the tax base is estimated to have grown by 6%, the Library Tax Rate per $1,000 will decline modestly.   The additional funding will help offset increased contractually obligated costs while sustaining Library operations and services.   We sincerely hope that the full Legislature will approve the County Executive’s proposal and appreciate their past support.

County funding of $25,409,158, combined with funding from New York State of $2,251,490 in operating aid, use of $812,874 in Library fund balance, and $756,565 in other library revenue, brings the Library’s 2020 proposed operating budget to $29,230,087; a 2.6% increase over the 2019 Adopted Budget.  In addition to the operating budget, $691,800 in state aid is included in the Library Grants Budget.

Erie County’s 2020 Proposed Capital Budget will support improvements to the county owned downtown Central Library, specifically:

$250,000 for Central Library Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing Improvements; and
$250,000 for Central Library Exterior Building Envelope & Site Improvements.

We believe the County Executive’s budget is a vote of confidence for the work the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is doing on behalf of the community.  The Library is committed to providing access to quality resources and information in a variety of formats and technologies to meet its mission: Connecting our diverse community with library resources that enrich, enlighten and entertain.

The next event in the budget review process will be the Library’s budget hearing before the Erie County Legislature’s Finance & Management/Budget Committee scheduled for Tuesday November 12th at 11:00am in the Legislative Chambers, 92 Franklin Street, 4th Floor, Buffalo, NY.  A public hearing/comment opportunity on the overall County Budget is scheduled for Monday November 18th beginning at 6:00pm, also in the Legislative Chambers.

Information on the proposed budget may be found in the links below.  This page will be updated as the budget process moves forward.

2020 Proposed Budget Information

Erie County Proposed Budget Document Excerpts -  Library Operating, Grants & Capital (Click Here)
2020 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Charts and Graphs (Click Here)
2020 B&ECPL Proposed Budget Line Item Detail (Click Here) 
Link to Erie County 2020 Proposed Budget Documents: Budget Message/4 Year Plan; Books A and B  (Click Here)