Library hopes for new deal with town to avoid cuts

Grafton Library Director Amanda Kloppmann is hoping to broker a cost sharing agreement between the village and town of Grafton to prevent a budget deficit that could mean reduced staff and programming.

Earlier this year, the town notified the village of its intention to terminate its long-standing library agreement next year after its share of the cost spiked by almost $40,000 this year.

If the town ends the agreement in June, it will begin paying a county tax for “unlibraried” communities that would cost about $215,000 next year — up $5,000 from this year’s expense, Kloppmann said.

In a letter to Town Clerk Sara Jacoby in February, Ozaukee County Administrator Jason Dzwinel said exiting the agreement could result in “some small savings” for the town, although it would likely be “close to dollar for dollar.”

The big loser would be the library, Kloppmann said, because the county tax gets split between all the libraries in Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Washington counties that had checkouts on Town of Grafton library cards.

“Ultimately, the town will be paying more to Ozaukee County, but the Grafton Library will only get about $160,000 of that tax,” she said.

Under the terms of the current four-page agreement, which was adopted in 1986 with previous editions dating to 1963, the town pays a percentage of the library budget based on the number of town residents who hold library cards.

This year, that meant the town paid 23% of the library cost, or $210,288, while the village paid $928,516, Kloppmann said.

Town Chairman Lester Bartel said exiting the agreement was not primarily to save money but to give the town a “known budget number” each year.

The county tax is determined by the  quantity of physical media, including books, DVDs and CDs, checked out by town residents at each library.

That number, Bartel said, would be easier to gauge than the current agreement provides.

Nonetheless, the town is open to negotiating a new agreement before it goes to the county system, Bartel said.

“We have all of next year,” he said. “We have a long history with the library, and I’d like to see that continue.”

The village is still working out how its budget will be impacted by the town exiting the agreement, Village Administrator Jesse Thyes said.

“With the town’s withdrawal, their contribution level might change. If that changes, that could mean a gap in the library budget,” he said.

Thyes said it’s possible the village may have to step up to fill that gap.

“The village recognizes the importance of the library to the community, not only the village but the town too. The village is committed to supporting the library as much as we can,” he said. “There’s no question about that.”

He said he’s hopeful a new agreement can be negotiated.

“As with lots of things, we have a long-standing history of intergovernmental governance with the town,” he said. “I don’t see any roadblock there whatsoever.”

While Kloppmann said the town has not responded to her outreach, she hopes to foster a new cost sharing agreement.

“I would love nothing more than to work with both the town and the village to come up with an agreement that works for everyone,” she said.

An “ideal” library budget, which would maintain current services and staff, would require the town to contribute $5,000 less than this year’s budget, she said.

If that can’t be negotiated, the library would consider cost saving methods, Kloppmann said.

“One potential approach to offset a revenue shortfall could be to shorten library hours, which would in turn reduce staff hours and decrease programming and resources available to the Grafton community,” she said. “But decreasing services would be contingent on the level of contribution from the town.”

Thyes said the village is willing to start from scratch in creating a cost sharing agreement with the town.

“The agreement is vintage. Anyone who was a part of that is not around now,” he said.

The budgetary impact of exiting the agreement and negotiations of a new one is “in flux,” Bartel said.

“I’ve been one to walk before you run,” he said.

Kloppmann said town residents would be the hardest hit if an agreement could not be negotiated.

“Terminating the library agreement truly is a disservice to everyone in the community, but especially to our dedicated library users in the town, as they will lose their say and representation in their library,” she said.

“I encourage Town of Grafton residents to reach out to their elected officials to express support for a new library agreement.  Your voice is important in shaping the outcome.”