McCandless Town Council rejects hike in Northland Public Library contribution

McCandless Town Council rejected a funding increase for Northland Public Library as requested in the library’s proposed 2022 budget.

The library had proposed a funding increase of 5.23% from its local municipalities, including McCandless, per a presentation by library Executive Director Amy Steele.

“This is an unprecedented move as the library budget has never been voted down by one of our supporting municipalities before. The impact will be felt by our community as necessary service, resource, and program cuts will need to take place,” said Nicholas Yon, director of communications for the Northland Public Library.

The township had the option of accepting, rejecting, or making a recommendation toward the library’s budget.

McCandless Council President Kim Zachary said while council did not accept the library’s requested contribution level, the township will still provide the same funding it did this year.

“By rejecting the 2022 proposed library budget, council rejected the 5.23 percent increase over last year. Our financial support will continue, just at the 2021 level. We recognize the library as a valued part of our community,” Zachary said.

Sixty percent of library funding comes from its five local municipalities, which includes McCandless.

Also at the Oct. 25 meeting township Manager Robert Grimm also presented the township’s proposed 2022 budget, which contains no tax increases.

He will continue to present budget details at the next council meeting on Nov. 8 with a final budget vote in December.

For the library budget, Steele had noted the increase would aid a variety of needs, such as operating increases and establishing competitive wages for staff.

Yon said the library empathizes with fiscal challenges facing all of their funders, but were disappointed by McCandless council’s decision, as library officials believed they established a thoughtful and responsible budget.

Three of the library’s other supporting municipal partners have formally approved the proposed library budget — Bradford Woods, Marshall, and Ross. Franklin Park has given indications of support pending a vote next month, Yon said.

McCandless has to be conservative with its budget to meet major funding needs for 2022, according to Zachary.

“The Town has large capital projects that can not be put off any longer. Council is committed to fiscal responsibility and maintaining the current tax rate. We continue to tighten our own budget and are asking the community services we support to do the same,” she said.

The library requested $675,445 from McCandless for 2022. However, the township budget committee requested the township maintains its 2021’s funding level at $641,905 for next year.

Municipal support for the library is calculated using a formula based upon circulation. McCandless contributes the highest amount toward the library out of the other municipalities, per the library proposed budget.

In his budget presentation, Grimm noted “while the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic downturn are not as significant as we first anticipated, we continue to see signs of the slower economy, and therefore we are cautious with revenue projections.”

Other library projected expenditures include health care, building maintenance and updates, staff continuing education and training, said Steele. Yon said Northland “worked hard” to make cuts to present a budget that would keep its current service level.

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to engage the McCandless Town Council in further discussions so we can continue to serve our communities and neighbors at service levels that meet their needs,” Yon said.

The library did receive some federal assistance last year, according to Steele. NPL received two Payroll Protection Plan loans. The PPP loan covered some staff and utility costs last and this year, according to Steele. She said both loans were forgiven in 2021.

Other funding includes Allegheny Regional Asset District, or RAD, at 18% of funding. The library receives only 9% from the state, according to the NPL budget.

Northland has the highest circulation of physical items during the pandemic throughout Allegheny County. From January to December in 2020, it circulated more than 410,000 items compared with the next-highest library circulation count of Mt. Lebanon at 182,288. From January to May this year, NPL circulation more than doubled the next-highest in count of circulation items, which was at Carnegie of Pittsburgh’s main branch.

The township proposed 2022 budget is available online www.townofmccandless.org.

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