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Agenda Item
13. Update and possible direction to staff regarding preparation of Fiscal Year 2026 budget for consideration by the entire Board at the May 20, 2025 public hearing on the FY2026 budget. Finance. (All Commission Districts.) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
At the May 7, 2025 special meeting of the Washoe County Library System (WCLS) Board of Trustees (LBOT)meeting, Washoe County CFO Abbe Yacoben presented a potential option for funding the library for FY2026 that included approximately $12.5M from the general fund (consistent with previous year); approximately $3.5M roll forward of the remaining funds in the Expansion Fund (final total will not be known until after books close for FY2025); and an additional $1.3M from general fund to be held in abeyance in county general fund until the Interim Library Director and LBOT present a plan to BCC for remainder of FY 2026 on September 30, 2025. If that plan shows need for the $1.3M to get through FY2026, then the funds would be transferred to library.
WCLS should NOT be the only WC department that takes a cut in FY2026 when all of the other departments are recommended for flat funding (with the exception of an additional $5M for roads and $1M for NNPH). If this additional $1.3M is not supported, WCLS would be the ONLY WC department with an actual budget decrease in FY2026. In addition, WCLS now has to figure out how to provide the services in FY2027 and beyond that the citizens want and need with significantly reduced funding. Such major decisions cannot be made quickly. And, to make matters more complicated, WCLS needs to undertake a search for a new Director, a costly and time-consuming project.
I urge the Board of Commissioners to endorse the proposal that CFP Yacoben presented to the LBOT and that the LBOT said it understood and agreed with.
I am strongly in support of funding Washoe County Libraries at, at least, the level they received in the last budget. Please do not reduce library funding. Since I don't know what the recommendation to the staff is, I cannot select a position above. Please know, I support continuing library funding without cuts. Libraries are important to our healthy communities in Washoe County.
At the May 7, 2025 special meeting of the Washoe County Library System (WCLS) Board of Trustees (LBOT)meeting, Washoe County CFO Abbe Yacoben presented a potential option for funding the library for FY2026 that included approximately $12.5M from the general fund (consistent with previous year); approximately $3.5M roll forward of the remaining funds in the Expansion Fund (final total will not be known until after books close for FY2025); and an additional $1.3M from general fund to be held in abeyance in county general fund until the Interim Library Director and LBOT present a plan to BCC for remainder of FY 2026 on September 30, 2025. If that plan shows need for the $1.3M to get through FY2026, then the funds would be transferred to library.
WCLS should NOT be the only WC department that takes a cut in FY2026 when all of the other departments are recommended for flat funding (with the exception of an additional $5M for roads and $1M for NNPH). If this additional $1.3M is not supported, WCLS would be the ONLY WC department with an actual budget decrease in FY2026. In addition, WCLS now has to figure out how to provide the services in FY2027 and beyond that the citizens want and need with significantly reduced funding. Such major decisions cannot be made quickly. And, to make matters more complicated, WCLS needs to undertake a search for a new Director, a costly and time-consuming project.
I urge the Board of Commissioners to endorse the proposal that CFP Yacoben presented to the LBOT and that the LBOT said it understood and agreed with.
I am strongly in support of funding Washoe County Libraries at, at least, the level they received in the last budget. Please do not reduce library funding. Since I don't know what the recommendation to the staff is, I cannot select a position above. Please know, I support continuing library funding without cuts. Libraries are important to our healthy communities in Washoe County.