Claudia Schoonover, Missouri River Regional Library (MRRL) director, presented the draft budget for the Jefferson City and Linn libraries to the board during its meeting Tuesday night.
In the proposal for 2016, library administrators foresee a total operating income of more than $3.15 million. Of that, $2.7 million will come from Jefferson City and Cole County property tax revenue, and more than $344,000 from Osage County property tax revenue. Schoonover said the library's focus on programming is reflected in the draft budget with an increase in those funds.
Overall, programming service funding could increase $8,100 if the board approves the budget in October. Most of those dollars - $8,000 - would go into the special event funding, which was unfunded last year. Teen programming is budgeted for $4,100, children's for $9,000, and programming for the Osage branch in Linn is proposed at $3,000.
Schoonover said marketing tactics - coffee talks with the director and surveys - showed programming is an important aspect of the library for its users.
"I want to put our money where it matters to people," Schoonover said. "It's obviously very relevant in people's lives."
Of the books and materials, adult non-fiction and adult fiction books will remain the library's top acquisitions, earmarked for $54,000 and $55,5000, respectively.
Total personnel costs are proposed at more than $1.9 million.
Schoonover said the library will renew its 20-cent tax levy on Aug. 26.
The board also addressed the library's interest in purchasing the building that houses the Osage County branch, located on Linn's Main Street. The library currently uses 4,680 square feet of the space, and would triple in size if it buys the whole building.
At the board's July meeting, it voted to begin negotiations with Legends Bank, but momentum slowed after administrators learned operating costs, or utilities, would double if the library takes over the entire building. That's an expense MRRL wouldn't be prepared for, Schoonover said.
Although she didn't give specifics, Betty Hagenhoff, MRRL assistant director for business and facilities, said problems will likely turn up in a building report being prepared by Clark Enersen Partners, a Kansas City engineering firm. Hagenhoff said it could find that money would need to be poured into the facility to bring it up to the library's standards.
To help off set the increased utility costs, Schoonover said the library would need a renter for 5-8 years. After that, she said MRRL would likely be able to pay for costs on its own.
In July, Schoonover told the News Tribune the building was appraised for $425,000, but the building cost is not reflected in the draft budget.
The board will make a decision after receiving more information, including the engineering report.
In other news, Schoonover reported 160 people attended U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's book signing for her memoir "Plenty Ladylike" at the Jefferson City branch. She also said the library's first cultural concert attracted about 450 people to the Capitol's south lawn.