St. Joe library likely to cut hours due to lost property taxes

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By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Mar 22, 2008 at 1:52 PM EST

Story Updated: Mar 22, 2008 at 2:07 PM EST

SOUTH BEND (AP) — It hasn't taken long for the new state property tax law to claim a local victim.

The St. Joseph County Public Library likely will eliminate Saturday hours at all of its locations this summer, Director Donald Napoli said.

As a result of the new law, the county library is looking at a possible loss of $790,000 in tax revenue in 2009 and a loss of $1.6 million in 2010, plus elimination of $750,000 in the library's capital projects fund, Napoli said.

"We'll probably close on Saturdays come this summer," he said. "We need to deal with it right now. We can't wait until next year."

Reduced funding also likely will mean a reduction in staff through attrition and a 12 percent cut in purchases of books and other library materials in each of the next two years, he said.

The grim forecast is based on income projections by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns as the result of the new law, Napoli said.

Napoli and library trustees were scheduled to discuss the fiscal impact of the new law in a meeting Monday.

Three library locations offer Sunday hours during the school year, and those hours would be cut only as a last resort, Napoli said.

"Sunday is our busiest day," he said.

Tax reform legislation passed recently by the Indiana General Assembly places caps on property taxes.

If the budget predictions prove accurate, Napoli said he would hope to eliminate 12 percent of staff in each of the next two years through attrition, rather than layoffs.

If county officials choose to raise the county option income tax to reduce budget cuts faced by public agencies, it would help the library but not eliminate all funding problems, Napoli said.

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Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com

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