7am News, Sports and Obits
Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Grim Outlook for Library Budget
It's the same tune, different lyrics.

Public services across the state are hurting for state and local funding, and the Galesburg Public Library is no different.

At a finance committee meeting Thursday, board members discussed making drastic cuts in expenditures in the face of slimmer revenues from the city and state.

Member Mike Kroll suggested one option after extensively examining the budget.

"The only way we can reduce the cost of this library, in any measurable fashion, is to eliminate staff positions," Kroll said. "There is no other place to take money out of this budget in terms of expenses."

Committee members Martin Reichel and Laurie Muelder discussed what that would mean for the future of the library.

"There just isn't anything else," Reichel said. "If you want to cut the book budget in half, fine, cut it...that's all that's left.

"And it's the equivalent if we were a hospital to cutting medicine," Muelder said. "Really, what are we going to provide?"

The committee took no action at the meeting, but discussed options of where to tighten the belt.

Members plan to present a budget to the full board and later make a case to the Galesburg City Council for higher tax levies for the 2011 fiscal year.


(File Photo)
07 16 10 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.