Palm Beach Expansion Plan Faces Rising Costs

-- Library Journal, 4/18/2007

When Palm Beach County, FL, voters in 2002 approved $55 million to expand or overhaul all 14 public library buildings, the total project budget was $71 million. Now, delays caused by hurricanes, site problems, and rising construction costs have caused the sum to double, at least. Though a Sun-Sentinel headline warned about "skyrocketing costs," Palm Beach County Library (PBCL) director John Callahan considers the situation under control. "We actually have $110 million available," he told LJ. "The real shortage is between $35 and $38 million."

County commissioners set millages and approve budgets, so the scope of the project depends upon how much they allot PBCL; tax collections have risen steadily as property values rise. Still, library planners now say that, if fully funded, the project would involve three new buildings, one replacement, four renovations/expansions, and six refurbishings. To date, one new branch has opened, one is under construction, and two others are due to begin construction this year. If the county retains the current millage, Callahan said, the project will be completed over the next five years, by 2012, instead of the original date of 2010. A new main library would cost $33.7 million, though it was originally projected to cost $19.5 million. Commissioners could opt to save money by instead adding a wing to the existing library.

Now there's another wild card threatening budgets; the state legislature is under pressure to lower property taxes and is considering a bill to abolish the state's 1517 special taxing districts, some of which support public libraries.