Monday March 3, 2008
For Immediate release:
Louisville Metro Council
Contact: Stephen Haag 574-1204/ 645-1752
Tony Hyatt: 574-4137/ 526-3622
Taking into consideration a tight economy and budget constraints, a Metro Council Work Study group has presented a progress report for expansion and growth of the Louisville Free Public Library system.
"After completing our due diligence, our group is presenting a report that calls for a significant investment in our library system", says Councilman Hal Heiner (R) 19. "This report has bi-partisan support on the Metro Council, and will give the Library Advisory Commission an idea of the funding available for planning purposes.”
The group began its review of the Library's needs last December with a focus on a financing plan to cover construction and operations of future libraries. On Monday, it presented a framework for funding and a possible time line for implementation. It was the first report presented to the Metro Council's Parks, Libraries and Cultural Affairs Committee.
"We believe as a group that the challenge in expanding our libraries is more about what we can afford to operate than what we can afford to build. Clearly, every operating dollar we have is already allocated and there are never enough dollars to do everything we would like to do,” said Council President Jim King (D) 10.” In deciding how we will find operating dollars, it is clear we will have to evaluate our priorities.”
The Work Study Group plan outlines options for improvement:
- $100 million for Library’s Capital Expansion
- $5 Million for Library’s Operating Expansion
- Use bonds, private funds and revenue growth to fund operating and capitol expansions
- Recommended timeline to ensure the expansion of the library system
The group is recommending a partnership between the public and private sectors in a formula for finding $100 million for the libraries capitol improvement needs. The Metro Government would provide $80 million dollars in bonds over the next six years continuing in 2012 to be matched by $20 million in private funding.
"This potential funding formula also addresses the needs of expanding the library system after new libraries are built," says King. "Any plan must include the funding needed to operate and staff Louisville’s library system into the 21st Century."
The Work group has also reviewed a potential option of $5 million for operations expansion starting in 2012. Operations funding would increase by $780,000 per year for seven years. Increases in funding would be gained by utilizing a portion of revenue growth. The final increase in funding would occur in 2018.
"Metro Government can begin to make dramatic improvements to our libraries within the next few years" said Heiner. "President King and I would like to thank Council members Ward Pugh (D) 9, Call (R) 26, Downard (R) 16 and Fleming (R) 7 who helped draw up this proposal and meet with various library support groups over the course of the past two months."
Under the options discussed by the Work group, the Library Advisory Commission would make a report to the Council’s Parks committee on a revised master Plan in May. In FY 2010 the design phase of library expansion would get underway with construction starting in FY 2011/ FY 2012
“We trust this committee and the public will agree that we have been working diligently to move the library agenda forward while remaining sensitive to the reality of our city’s budget constraints,” said King. “I would like to commend the members of the work study group for the bipartisan way they have approached this effort.”
The Work group pointed out that this approach is dependent upon support from the Library Foundation and Mayor Jerry Abramson.
“This is the starting point for a serious discussion of where we go from here,” said King.
To see an on line power point presentation of the report go to: www.louisvilleky.gov/metrocouncil
Sponsors:
Hal Heiner (R) 19
Jim King (D) 10
Tina Ward-Pugh (D) 9
Ellen Call (R) 26