Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) announced today that its 2016 budget has been approved by the Library Board of Trustees and Jefferson County Board of Commissioners.
“Our 2016 budget supports ambitious initiatives to deliver on promises made to voters in the recent mill levy campaign,” said Library Board Chair Brian DeLaet. “We are grateful to have this opportunity to begin to restore Library services and put JCPL back on a path to excellence.”
The budget request submitted by the Library Board of Trustees included the following:
- a mill levy of 4.121 mills, up from 3.425 mills in 2015;
- total revenues of $34,453,776, which reflects an $8 million increase made possible by an increase in the voter-approved mill levy passed in November;
- total expenditures of $32,396,129, to support initiatives to restore hours, purchase more books and materials, update technology, begin to catch up on capital maintenance projects, stabilize finances and plan for expansion of services in underserved areas; and
- a $2,057,647 contribution to the Library’s fund balance in anticipation of increasing capital and other costs in 2017 and beyond as the Library undertakes plans to refurbish buildings and expand services in underserved areas.
“It will take us time to restore open hours,” said Pam Nissler, executive director, JCPL. “We will be hiring and training additional staff in the first quarter of 2016 so we can expand open hours in April. Other initiatives will be implemented as quickly as possible so residents can begin to see an immediate return on their investment,” Nissler added.
Beginning April 4, service hours at JCPL’s larger libraries (Arvada, Belmar, Columbine, Evergreen, Golden, Lakewood and Standley Lake) will expand from 51 hours a week to 65 hours a week. That means open hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon to 5.p.m. on Sunday. Hours at JCPL’s smaller libraries (Conifer, Edgewater, and Wheat Ridge) also are expanding and final schedules will be announced in March.
Other initiatives include the following:
- Restoring investment in books and materials. JCPL expects to invest $5.9 million in books and materials, an increase of approximately $2 million when compared to 2015, with increased investment beginning in the first quarter. This should make a noticeable difference in the availability of high-demand materials.
- Increasing investment in updated technology. The Library plans to update more than 100 public access computers as quickly as possible, expand bandwidth and wireless access points at all 10 libraries and update critical infrastructure.
- Addressing delayed capital maintenance projects. The Library plans to invest $1 million on the following:
- Replacing parking lots at the Lakewood Library and the Library Service Center;
- Replacing the Standley Lake Library boiler;
- Removing dead trees and fixing sidewalks at the Columbine Library;
- Replacing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the Wheat Ridge Library;
- Rebuilding the Air Handling Unit at the Evergreen Library;
- Repairing carpet at the Belmar Library; and
- Completing routine capital maintenance projects.
- Planning for future projects, including the refurbishment of the Columbine Library and the expansion of services to South County.
In 2013, the Library Board of Trustees recognized that Jefferson County Public Library was underfunded. Years of revenue constraints had begun to affect Library service levels, and library management pointed out that JCPL ranked at or below the bottom quartile in key performance measures when compared to peers. After a multi-year review of strategic alternatives to secure the future of the Library, the Library Board voted in 2015 to ask Jefferson County residents to approve an increase in the Library’s mill levy.
In the November 2015 election, Jefferson County residents approved an increase in the Library’s mill levy from a maximum of 3.5 mills to a maximum of 4.5 mills. Based on that successful outcome, the Library Board of Trustees requested revenues of $34 million and a mill levy of 4.121 mills for 2016.
“The Library Board of Trustees has an obligation to develop and present an annual budget based on the funding needed to support a responsible level of library services,” DeLaet explained. “This budget will allow us to begin to restore library services, assure responsible spending, and maintain our commitment to effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”
