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Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/may05/326512.asp
Editorial: Leave libraries to locals
From the Journal Sentinel
Posted: May 16, 2005
By helping to create an enlightened citizenry, public libraries perform a vital function in a republic, making sure that all citizens have access to the resources they need to understand their community and the world around them. Thus, providing adequate funding for libraries should be a high priority for every municipality.
But every municipality should be allowed to determine what "adequate" means for its community. And local officials should be allowed to work out funding and operations for their own libraries, which are paid for by local taxpayers.
And since the state does not require a certain level of funding for other municipal services, such as police, fire and sewerage, the state should not be in the business of telling municipalities how much to spend on their libraries.
But in
State law requires cities and
villages with libraries to provide funds for library operations each year in an
amount not less than the average of the funds allocated each of the previous
three years. The requirement applies to libraries that are part of a regional
library system, but since every library in
No other local service receives this kind of protection from the state. Rep. Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington) thinks that's wrong and is considering introducing a measure that would rescind the state requirement. He should do so.
Consider: Spending by public
libraries in the
Mike Cross, the state's director of public library development, argues that a love of libraries, not state law, has caused the increase in spending. "The reason people are supportive of libraries is because libraries are valued and highly used," he told Rinard. "That's why the support is there, not because of the state statutes."
Fine. Then removing the statute should have no effect on that financial support. People will value libraries just as highly without the law.
And since removing the requirement would restore local control over libraries, it's a win all around.
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Original URL: http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/may05/326328.asp
Library funds jump as cities feel crunch
Unusual state law makes it difficult for lawmakers to cut spending
By AMY RINARD
arinard@journalsentinel.com
Posted: May 15, 2005
Spending by public libraries in
the Milwaukee area increased by 12% from 2000 through 2003, and more than half
of the area's libraries raised operating expenditures by more than double the
rate of inflation, a new analysis shows.
The spending increases come as municipal governments - the primary source of library funding - are under growing pressure to hold down costs and taxes. But an unusual state law governing the funding of libraries makes it nearly impossible for local officials to make significant cuts in library budgets
"It is a bone of contention, especially in an environment where the Legislature is talking about things like tax levy freezes and spending limits," said Curt Witynski, assistant director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, which has sought to have the law repealed.
"We don't have this requirement for fire or police service or street repair; this is the one service where there's a spending level municipalities have to meet."
The law requires cities and villages that have libraries to contribute funds to library operations each year in an amount not less than the average of the funds allocated for the previous three years.
Failure to maintain this level of funding would result in a library getting kicked out of its regional library system with an accompanying loss of all the financial and service benefits due system members, such as sharing of state funds and intra-system borrowing of library materials.
In addition, if a municipality's funding of its library falls far enough, residents could be subject to a county property tax levied on residents not considered to be supporting a local library.
The penalties for failing to maintain a certain level of local library funding are onerous enough that few communities have tried to make deep cuts in library funding. Every library in the state now is part of a regional library system, according to the state Department of Public Instruction, which oversees public libraries.
Potholes or books?
But Rep. Mark Gottlieb (R-Port Washington) said he can foresee a time when municipalities under spending or levy limits will have to choose either to maintain the required level of library funding or make street repairs.
"Should there be one department in a city that is more or less held harmless from having its budget cut because of a state law?" said Gottlieb, who is considering introducing legislation to do away with the library funding law.
"A village or city ought to have the ability to control their own spending. In an era where everyone wants property taxes to go down, this is just an indefensible law."
Mike Cross, director of public library development for the state Department of Public Instruction, defended the law as setting a reasonable criterion for a library's membership in a regional system that brings benefits to library users.
"By connecting together in a system, a person can go into a local library and have access to millions of materials," he said, noting that there is no state law that requires cities and villages to have libraries.
The law is in place to ensure that local libraries that get state funding through their library systems do not use that money to replace local municipal funding and that they keep up their collections and operations, all of which contribute to the success of the entire system.
Cross said he believed the state law does not drive funding for local libraries.
"The reason people are supportive of libraries is because libraries are valued and highly used," he said. "That's why the support is there, not because of the state statutes."
An analysis of data compiled by
the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance comparing total operating expenditures in 2000
with 2003 operating budgets for all 46 public libraries in the
Also near the top of the list in percentage increases in operating budgets were the Rochester Public Library, 73.5%; Kewaskum, 70.1%; and Franklin, 58.7%. Spending increased by 25% or more at 17 libraries.
At the bottom of the list, operating expenditures at the St. Francis Public Library were the same in 2002 and 2003, and the Oak Creek Public Library decreased its operating budget during that period by 3.9% while still meeting the statutory requirement.
Spending, circulation both up
The average increase in spending was 11.8%, the study showed, while the rate of inflation during the period was 6.9%.
Total circulation at area libraries rose by 15% from 2000 through 2003, according to the study.
The operating budget of the Milwaukee Public Library increased 3.3% during this period.
Milwaukee Library Director Kathleen Huston said there were a hiring freeze and a juggling of staff positions during these years to save money and funding for the operation of the Center Street Library. The Bookmobile was shifted to revenue received from federal Community Development Block Grants, she said.
She said the library, like other city departments, was instructed by former Mayor John O. Norquist to keep spending increases to a minimum to hold down taxes.
From the May 16, 2005, editions of the
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