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Library representatives discuss budget priorities and city funding dependence
0:51:22
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Library representatives explain their budget priorities, focusing on maintaining staff levels and addressing infrastructure needs. They emphasize the high dependence on city funding and the need for increased investment.
- Book budgets are often cut first to preserve staffing levels
- Infrastructure maintenance often requires expense money in addition to capital funds
- Libraries stress the need for increased city investment to maintain services and infrastructure
- Council Member Rivera acknowledges the libraries' high dependence on city funding and the city's obligation to support these critical services
Linda E. Johnson
0:51:22
Yeah.
0:51:22
Also I I just wanna mention that the reason the book budgets in all three systems have been one of the first places where we've gone to find savings is because the last thing we want to do is cut staff who is so important on the front line of serving patrons.
0:51:42
And so that's always the logical way to kind of put that option to the very bottom of the list.
Dennis Walcott
0:51:48
And if I may just add to what Linda said, and I think we've talked about this in the past, the balancing act of the infrastructure connected to expense money as well.
0:52:00
Because a lot of times when people hear about infrastructure, they think of capital dollars, but a lot of it is not capitally eligible.
0:52:07
So therefore, we're paying for a leaky roof if want it done quickly by us.
0:52:13
That comes out of our expense money.
0:52:15
So in addition to what Linda and Tony indicated, we also have to make sure we have that money set aside for those unknown expenses that would pop up on the capital side and then that cuts into our budget as well.
0:52:28
So we're really at the bone and I you know, it's such a tough balancing act when we talk about, well, we haven't had a peg this year, but we haven't kept pace with everything from prior years.
0:52:40
And how we balance that out as far as maintaining a first class institution, serving a first class city and having a public deserving us to be upfront and leading the way requires that type of investment.
0:52:54
So this is all combined as far as what we are trying to articulate as far as the need for libraries and serving the public.
Carlina Rivera
0:53:01
And I appreciate that because I know I ask you every budget hearing that what do you in terms of what your dependence is on the city for funding, but I think people really need to understand that when that when Queen's Ninety Two Percent, Brooklyn Eighty Five Percent, like these are real percentages.
0:53:20
So the city has an obligation because you the critical services that you all provide.
0:53:25
So I just want to get to my colleagues who are here to ask questions, acknowledge we've been joined by council member Brewer.
0:53:33
We're going to begin with council member Brooks Powers followed by Lewis.
0:53:41
Do you have some is it okay?