After State Supreme Court Rejects Property Tax Timing, Central Arkansas Library Faces 10% Cut

One branch to close, reserves sliced, materials cut--but next year should be better

Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 01/07/2010

• $1.5 million must be cut
• No raises for staffers earning over $30,000
• 14% materials cut
• Hiring freeze

While a lot of libraries have faced budget pressures, the Central Arkansas Library System, Little Rock, which faces a 10% budget cut this year, has experienced an unusual reversal: the rejection in part by the state Supreme Court of a new property tax.

Last month, the court said Pulaski County officials did not have the authority to put a property tax approved by voters for CALS into effect immediately—after tax rates were set—and that the tax had to be credited toward future property taxes paid by Little Rock taxpayers.

The court has not ruled on the exact amount to be reimbursed, nor a timeline for repayment, but CALS estimates it must cut 10% from the 2010 budget, or $1.5 million.  One third of that, or $500,000, will be saved by dipping into reserves, leaving about $800,000 for unanticipated emergencies.

Service cuts
The library plans cuts in service hours at nine of 14 locations (those in Little Rock); it will also close its least-used branch (Aerospace Library), reduce Children’s Library programming, and delay opening the new Rooker Library.

The materials budget will be reduced by $255,000, or 14%. Beyond that, there will be no raises for staffers earning more than $30,000, plus voluntary pay cuts from senior staff, the freezing of all open positions, and reductions in various operating and capital expenditures.

Trend had been up
CALS has experienced a nine-year trend of increases in circulation and attendance. “We expect services to be restored in 2011," said Director Bobby Roberts, who was LJ's 1997 Librarian of the Year. "Our customer service will remain at its current excellent level, and we will do the best we can with money we have.”

CALS will host a public meeting on January 14 to discuss proposed service cuts, which face approval of the CALS Board of Trustees on January 28.