City shoulders too much of library budget, councilors say
ELLSWORTH — A discussion between library trustees and councilors on the library’s funding request went south when the two boards met on May 12. But councilors appeared poised to compromise when they met for a budget workshop five days later.
Library Director Amy Wisehart had presented councilors with a $544,907 budget request on May 12 that was 3 percent lower than the library’s FY21 request. The sum represents 81 percent of the library’s total $672,207 operating budget. But councilors expected a figure more in line with the $461,872 city appropriation they approved last year, after slicing off $100,000. That loss was offset by using money from the library’s surplus account, and a committee was formed of trustees, library personnel and councilors to hash out the issue before this year’s budget talks. But they only met once, and trustees based their FY22 budget on what it costs for the library to operate as it has historically.