Library budget hearing is Friday
The Shelter Island Public Library Board of Directors will outline its 2015 budget at a meeting Friday at 5 p.m. in the community room.The $650,564 budget represents an approximate 3 percent increase in spending.
In tax dollars, $562,653 will be needed to support the library’s operations next year.
The balance of funding comes from contributions and fund raising, grants, the library’s annual appeal, interest income and fines and fees.
The major increase is a $10,000 allocation to a capital fund to provide for unanticipated long-term repairs or replacements, according to library director Denise DiPaolo.
The new budget calls for employee costs to go up from $431,467 to $447,926 with 6 percent of that represented by the increased cost of health care benefits. Qualified employees would see raises of between 2 and 3 percent, Ms. DiPaolo said.
Property and liability insurance costs were less than had been anticipated for the current year so the new budget proposal calls for an allocation of $11,200, rather than $15,304.
The budget line for the annual appeal is down from $33,000 this year to $19,000 in 2015, but not because the income is expected to decline. Rather, it’s a reflection of shifting money that comes in from the Leadership Circle, memorials and bequests directly into the capital account, Ms. DiPaolo said. Therefore, it’s not reflected in the library’s general fund profit and loss statement, she said.
Voting on the proposed budget is scheduled for Saturday, October 25, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the library.
