Councilors question cut to library budget

Date: 2/17/2009

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD -- The public questioning of the initial budget-cutting decisions floated by the Sarno Administration have started with three city councilors wondering why Mayor Domenic Sarno wants to cut the library's budget by over ten percent.

Councilors Bud Williams, Patrick Markey and Bruce Stebbins conducted a meeting Thursday afternoon on the proposed cut to satisfy the mid-year budget reduction imposed on the city by Gov. Deval Patrick.

Sarno has released a preliminary list of city departments and the cuts by percentages, but no additional details. He told Reminder Publications Thursday morning that he has not yet finalized a list of cuts and layoffs. "We continue to work very methodically and sensitively on this plan and we will be making some kind of announcement by mid next week," he said.

Sarno said that despite his administration's care to observe contractual agreements with unions on proposed layoffs, "I know there are some individuals that continue to, maybe, grandstand with comments."

He added his efforts now are to set up the city to be prepared for the decreased Fiscal Year 10 state aid and to ultimately re-define city services.

During his meeting Williams referred to the lack of details about the cuts.

"We still don't have a plan," he said.

All three councilors expressed concern about the impact a 10.76 percent cut would have on the city's library system and why the library was singled out for such a large cut.

Markey called the proposed cut as "tough medicine" and "patently unfair."

As explained by Emily Bader, the library head, cities must fund their libraries at certain levels to qualify for state and federal funding. These cuts put the certification of the library in question, she said.

In a letter to Williams from Stephen Cary, the chair of the Library Commission, the 10.76 percent cut could also cause the inability of Springfield residents to request materials from other public libraries.

The library would have to apply for a state waiver to continue to operate if this level of cuts is sustained in Sarno's FY10 budget, Bader said. Layoffs and reduction in hours would be certainties.

A 10.76 percent cut made at this time would be "very devastating" as much of the year's budget has already been spent, she added.

Seth Racine, representing the city's chief financial officer T.J. Plante, explained the final budget numbers have not yet been determined and financial information is "being analyzed on a daily basis."

Williams said that every day the mayor doesn't make a decision, the cuts become more costly.

"Other municipalities have slowed down spending, but we kept spending," he added.

Racine said Sarno's intent is to make the cuts once. The mayor will meet with the City Council to present his final plan and then release it to the public, he added.

Racine said, "I think I can say no library will close under any scenario we've envisioned until now." There will be reductions of both staff and hours, though, he added.

Markey reminded Racine the library budget was cut in 2003 and, unlike other city departments, it was never restored.

Library Commissioner Sheila McElwaine said the proposed cut "is hard to swallow with no explanation at how the number was arrived at."