Tax Delay Forces Warsaw Library To Reduce Hours
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Monday, the library's board of trustees approved reducing library operation hours from 60 hours to 56 hours per week effective June 2.[[In-content Ad]]The library will close two hours earlier on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The library currently is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on those days, but will close at 6 p.m. now.
The library will keep its existing hours on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m; Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and continue to be closed Sundays.
"It was not an easy decision to make to reduce operation hours, but is necessary so the library can stretch its operating budget," said WCPL Director Ann Zydek.
Zydek said her decision to recommend reducing library operating hours came from a delay in property tax distribution. The spring billing for property tax distribution was not the normal May 10, so there will be no June 30 distribution when the library and other government entities normally receive distributions.
Zydek said 55 percent of the revenue the library receives comes from property tax distribution.
She said she received notification from Kosciusko County Auditor Marsha McSherry stating property tax distributions would be delayed, and the county will not be able to proceed with calculating a provisional tax statement.
Zydek researched the library's operating hours to determine which days would be appropriate to reduce hours.
"We didn't want to reduce hours on Mondays and Tuesdays because those are days when the most patrons visit the library," Zydek said.
She said there has been an ongoing problem over the years since trending occurred where the library has not received its property tax distribution that is supposed to come the end of June.
Zydek said the library has only reduced summer hours within the past five years due to not receiving tax distributions the end of June.
She said the library is waiting to see what House Bill 1001's impact on public libraries regarding approval of library budgets will be.
Besides cutting hours, the board also approved freezing staff wage and salary rates at current levels. There also will be a reduction of staff on shifts Wednesdays and Thursdays from two shifts to one shift.
Starting positions currently are at $7.20 per hour. Staff will not receive minimum wage and salary adjustment increases on July 11 as originally approved by the board in 2007.
Part-time staff who are currently working 25 hours per week will be reduced to 20 hours per week. Full-time staff range of hours per week worked will remain between 30 to 40 hours per week.
All WCPL employees will be asked to consider volunteering to reduce hours worked during the summer in June, July and August, according to Zydek.
Area libraries also are taking steps to save library costs after loss in tax revenue and Indiana's property tax reform.
In April, the St. Joseph County Library Board approved closing all its locations on Saturdays in June, July and August to reduce expenses. In Allen County, library patrons are seeing a 15-cents increase in overdue books effective June 1 as a way to address the library's budget cut.
Monday, the library's board of trustees approved reducing library operation hours from 60 hours to 56 hours per week effective June 2.[[In-content Ad]]The library will close two hours earlier on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The library currently is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on those days, but will close at 6 p.m. now.
The library will keep its existing hours on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m; Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and continue to be closed Sundays.
"It was not an easy decision to make to reduce operation hours, but is necessary so the library can stretch its operating budget," said WCPL Director Ann Zydek.
Zydek said her decision to recommend reducing library operating hours came from a delay in property tax distribution. The spring billing for property tax distribution was not the normal May 10, so there will be no June 30 distribution when the library and other government entities normally receive distributions.
Zydek said 55 percent of the revenue the library receives comes from property tax distribution.
She said she received notification from Kosciusko County Auditor Marsha McSherry stating property tax distributions would be delayed, and the county will not be able to proceed with calculating a provisional tax statement.
Zydek researched the library's operating hours to determine which days would be appropriate to reduce hours.
"We didn't want to reduce hours on Mondays and Tuesdays because those are days when the most patrons visit the library," Zydek said.
She said there has been an ongoing problem over the years since trending occurred where the library has not received its property tax distribution that is supposed to come the end of June.
Zydek said the library has only reduced summer hours within the past five years due to not receiving tax distributions the end of June.
She said the library is waiting to see what House Bill 1001's impact on public libraries regarding approval of library budgets will be.
Besides cutting hours, the board also approved freezing staff wage and salary rates at current levels. There also will be a reduction of staff on shifts Wednesdays and Thursdays from two shifts to one shift.
Starting positions currently are at $7.20 per hour. Staff will not receive minimum wage and salary adjustment increases on July 11 as originally approved by the board in 2007.
Part-time staff who are currently working 25 hours per week will be reduced to 20 hours per week. Full-time staff range of hours per week worked will remain between 30 to 40 hours per week.
All WCPL employees will be asked to consider volunteering to reduce hours worked during the summer in June, July and August, according to Zydek.
Area libraries also are taking steps to save library costs after loss in tax revenue and Indiana's property tax reform.
In April, the St. Joseph County Library Board approved closing all its locations on Saturdays in June, July and August to reduce expenses. In Allen County, library patrons are seeing a 15-cents increase in overdue books effective June 1 as a way to address the library's budget cut.
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