The St. Albert Public Library may not face a $500,000 cut in city grant funding after all, as Mayor Cathy Heron submitted a motion this week to keep the library's 2023 funding level the same as 2022.
Council will still need to debate the motion when 2023 budget deliberations begin on Nov. 29, but in an interview after presenting to council on Nov. 7, library board co-chair Colleen McClure said the motion is a step forward. The funding cut, however, remains a possibility.
“It’s a positive step, but they still have to make a decision," McClure said.
"We want to be very respectful of their process, and see what they decide, but we certainly feel that we presented them with the best information we have, and then from there we have to respect whatever decision they make."
McClure and fellow board co-chair Deborah McTaggart-Baird, as well as the library's CEO Peter Bailey presented a revised budget to council on Nov. 7, reducing their 2023 funding request from the $4,562,000 first announced in August, to $4,348,900, which is the same amount the library received for 2022.
Council has been eyeing a cut to the library's funding by $500,000 per year, for the next three years, in an effort to reduce property tax increases. In the 2023 proposed city budget, administration used the library's budget request from August as the funding amount ($4,562,000) that would be reduced by $500,000, meaning that if Heron's motion fails, the library will receive $4,062,000 in 2023.
However, if Heron's motion passes it would add $286,900 to the 2023 budget, which will result in a 0.2 per cent tax increase, said Danelle Boivin, city spokesperson, in an email.
In the presentation to council, McClure said the zero per cent funding increase for 2023 will still result in the termination of two full-time employees, reduce library hours, and will cut the library's collection of material. Bailey confirmed after the presentation that the two employees —the digital services librarian and a cataloguing and processing assistant —have already been given notice of termination effective Jan. 1.
During the council meeting, Heron, as well as Coun. Sheena Hughes and Coun. Mike Killick stated they received a multitude of emails and letters from St. Albertans voicing support for the library, and concerns about how the cut might impact library services.
“You have to understand how many emails and letters we are getting in support of the library," Heron said in an interview on Nov. 8. "It is absolutely truly amazing.”
“When a resident or a kid sends their personal stories of why they love the library or what it means to them or what life would be like without them — those personal stories — that's impactful,” Heron said. She added that one of the letters she received was from a child in Grade 5 who said, "if we close the library our society will get dumber and dumber, dumber and dumber.”
McClure, McTaggart-Baird, and Bailey each extended their thanks to people who wrote emails and letters to council.
"We are grateful,” McClure said. “Whatever the view is, thanks for the engagement."
"Democracy is founded on all of us paying attention and participating, so I’m just delighted that very busy people took the time to express that."
Bailey added that he was moved by some of the emails he read.
"Some people wrote just really heartfelt letters expressing their views on the value of the library to them, and how important library services are to them, and real fear about these cuts."
A final decision on the library's funding for 2023 won't be made until council begins budget deliberations on Nov. 29.
“I really hate all the anxiety this has caused, and I wanted to try to find a solution,” Heron said about why she decided to submit the motion now.
Staff reduction
During the meeting, Hughes asked Bailey how the termination of the two employees will impact library services going forward. Bailey said the choice to eliminate the cataloguing and processing assistant positions was a result of a recommendation from a recent internal audit report. The report stated having in-house cataloguing is not as efficient as outsourcing the role.
"I appreciate the fact that you're trying to manage this without having drastic impacts to services as your first goal... and you're obviously trying to work with the city to figure out how to accomplish a compromise," Hughes said.
The recently completed internal audit to find cost-savings in the library's operations was published on the library's website on Oct. 19. The city contributed $100,000 toward the audit in 2021.
The audit, completed by consultant Margaret Law, was a focal point in council's questions to McClure, McTaggart-Baird, and Bailey after their presentation on Nov. 7. Councillors inquired about any identified future savings to be found in the library.
In Law's report, the top three opportunities for cost-savings were: for the library to change its approach to collection management by outsourcing to vendors; to use the city's services for all non-library purchasing (however, the report does not provide an example); and, to reduce programming.
"There are some potential efficiencies that can reduce costs; however, each one will negatively impact the level of service that is offered to the St. Albert community," Law wrote. "It is important to note that the major savings can only be accomplished by staff reduction."
