Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Warsaw Community Public Library Board of Trustees tentatively approved the library's 1999 budget Monday and set a public hearing for the measure for 4 p.m. Aug. 24 at the library.
The proposed operating budget calls for a total of $1,507, 857 in outlays and a maximum tax levy of $816,123. This translates into a library tax rate of $.2760 per $100 of assessed valuation for city property owners and is based on $295,643,441 of total assessed value in the city.
Last year's state-approved library tax rate was, $.2774 per $100 of assessed valuation.
The bond interest and redemption fund was approved at $395,450, with $225,450 going to interest on the bonds issued for library improvement and $170,000 for bond retirement. The estimated tax rate for this fund is $.1650 per $100 of assessed value.
The library improvement fund was approved at $141,145.
In addition to tentative approval of the 1999 budget, the board approved a reduction in the 1998 budget of $32,454.
"Some of that amount, $8,829, were funds encumbered from the 1997 budget," said Renee Sweeney, business manager for the library.
The remaining $23,625 consists of savings in employee expenses, reduced electricity costs and other building maintenance and operational savings.
In other business, library director Ann Zydek said preparations are in the final stages for the official grand opening and open house scheduled for Aug. 13. Tours of the library and its facilities will be offered throughout the day. According to board member Larry Chamberlain, state Sen. Kent Adams (R- Bremen) will be the featured speaker.
"We want to make it perfectly clear that the general public is enthusiastically invited to attend the open house on Aug. 13," Chamberlain said.
The board also approved a change in library policy to allow visiting authors to sell copies of their books to patrons during book signings. Library policy had been that no sales of materials and no admissions could be charged for events at the library.
"I'd like to grant the director the authority to waive the restriction for visiting authors. After all, that will bring people into the library and that's what we want to do," Chamberlain said.
The board approved an affiliation with Grace College to participate in the federal work study program, where qualified students can earn work experience and the library can receive up to 75 percent reimbursement on the employment cost of the college student.
Finally, the board approved the final payment of $38,244 for the library renovation to come from the library's improvement fund. All remaining payments will be from the project escrow fund, according to Sweeney.
