Evanston’s Library Board is scheduled tonight to vote on a proposed budget that would increase monthly spending by nearly 11 percent over this year’s rate.
The increase would be the result of providing full-year funding for both branch libraries — rather than the six-month funding approved for this year by the City Council — and by absorbing the cost of employee pay and benefit increases without making any staffing reductions.
Library Director Mary Johns is also suggesting $122,000 in expense reductions — mostly by cutting hours at the main library — which could reduce the budget increase to a little over 7 percent.
If the board voted instead to close the branches and make the administrative re-organization proposed by the library director, but did not reduce hours at the main library, the budget increase would be less than 2 percent.
The Library Board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the community room at the library, 1703 Orrington Ave.
Related document
Library board meeting packet (.pdf)