Muncie PL, IN, To Close Two of Five Facilities
Tax revenues down, staff reduced by attrition
Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 05/26/2009
- Response to law mandating tax cuts
- Budget expected to decline for several years
- Director responds in newspaper column
Muncie Public Library (MPL), IN, in anticipation of lower tax revenues, will close two out of five locations on June 1 and convert a third into a part-time, noncirculating facility.
The MPL board of trustees voted May 19 to close the Conley Library and the Local History & Genealogy Center. The Carnegie Library, now open five days a week, will be open just three days a week; it will house the local history and genealogy collection and a computer lab. Service will be concentrated at two locations which in 2008 had 88-90% of all MPL circulation.
Response to tax cut legislation
MPL director Virginia Nilles wrote a guest column May 21 in the Star Press newspaper, explaining that "reasons [for the branch closures] are primarily economic and secondarily relate to a declining/changing population base."
Indiana voters have demonstrated their preference for tax cuts, wrote Nilles. Indeed, the Indiana General Assembly March 2008 overwhelmingly passed state property tax reform legislation that lowers the average homeowner's tax bill by 30 percent. Also, the city has suffered from a decline in manufacturing, with a BorgWarner auto parts plant, the largest taxpayer, closing this month.
The timing of the March 2008 legislation gave MPL time to figure out new spending priorities, Nilles told LJ, as it operates on a calendar year. MPL staff did so studying usage statistics, staffing, and hours; reports from the United Way, Teamwork for Quality Living, and Chamber of Commerce; as well as Muncie Community School enrollment data.
As soon as the property tax measure was signed into law, Nilles told LJ, MPL proactively acted to reduce spending, beginning to reduce staff by attrition. The library has gone from about 78 FTEs to 63 FTEs. Some 20 positions--about five more--will gone by the end of the year, creating "quite a juggling act," she said. Service for the homebound also has been eliminated.
Diminishing budget
MPL’s budget will likely decline over the next three to five years, Nilles told LJ. The current budget is $4.9 million; FY10’s budget was anticipated to be $4.3 million but could be lower. After that, the budget could go as low as $3.6 million.
MPL’s exact budget is up in the air because the "tax draw" is late this year, explained Nilles, referring to MPL’s notification of tax proceeds. Delays have occurred because, as per the new law, all properties must be reassessed to market value and capped according to the new formula. Also, the state legislature once again will consider a permanent tax cap, an effort that failed last year.
