City HallWednesday, November 11
Library officials say the mayor's budget would cut Spokane's branches to four days a week
The Daily Spokane team
If you rely on your branch, tonight matters. Mayor Lisa Brown's $2.9 billion, two-year budget proposal would give the library system roughly $25 million, and library officials calculate a $4.6 million shortfall. Executive director Andrew Chanse said it's "short by $2.3 million per year."
The mayor's budget leaves libraries $4.6 million short, officials say
- $2.9 billion
- proposed for the next two years
- $598.6 million
- in the city's general fund
- $25 million
- for libraries over two years
- $4.6 million
- shortfall library officials calculate
Sources: KXLY.com, The Spokesman-Review
All seven libraries are open seven days a week now. Chanse says the plan would force them to close Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
Libraries could open four days a week instead of seven
4Days a week libraries could afford to stay open, per library officials
Source: KXLY.com
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Days a week libraries could afford to stay open, per library officials | 4 |
| Open now | 7 |
“The fundamental issue for libraries is their costs have gone up, but their levy costs have been flat and the general fund has remained flat, so there is a gap there.”
- Public comment: today, 6 p.m., at the city council meeting
- Council vote: no date yet; the city hopes for early December
- Police: $61.4 million to $79.3 million, with four downtown patrol hires
Sources: KXLY.com, The Spokesman-Review