Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Challenges of Shared Library Governance and Funding (Pauline Haass Edition)


Can Lisbon save $13,000 on library costs? (Sussex Sun, 9/27/2011)

Excerpt: The Town of Lisbon can save about $13,000 a year in library expenses if it will accept an proposal to change how Lisbon and the Village of Sussex share the cost of operations at Pauline Haass Library, according to a Sussex village official in negotiations with the town over a new library funding agreement.

But town officials say that is not enough money and they want some changes in the proposed new formula for funding the library.

"It is a good deal for the town considering that the village really doesn't have to give them anything," said Village Trustee Tim Dietrich who has been negotiating with Town Supervisor Ryan Lippert for the past five months.

But Lippert said he is "disappointed" that Dietrich and other village officials have "apparently latched onto a formula" that has yet to be approved by town officials.

Lippert and Town Board Chairman Matt Gehrke said Monday night there may be additional factors they want included in the proposed formula.

As Dietrich pointed out, the village has no obligation to agree to a change in the formula until 2014, when the agreement converts to a year-to-year contract. Library officials say the agreement needs to be replaced with a longer-term contract between the communities so library officials can engage in long-range operational and capital planning.

The Library Board will present its proposed $1.3 million 2012 budget to the two communities at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in the Quad Graphics Room of the library
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Related articles: 
Consensus building for new joint library agreement.  (7/22/2011)
Sussex, Lisbon:  Local politics and library negotiations.  (5/28/2011)
Negotiation to continue after information-gathering process.  (10/8/2010)
And the beat goes on.  (10/4/2010)
Differences of opinion of library funding continue.  (9/18/2010)
Leaders of Village of Sussex, Town of Lisbon clash over funding for library. (8/26/2010)
Will annexation resolution interfere with negotiations over joint library agreement?  (8/4/2010)
Proposal to change library funding formula gets cool reception.  (6/7/2010)
Town of Lisbon Chairman proposes new funding formula for library.  (5/31/2010)

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