Letter: Library Board candidate

Our Board of Directors is approving budgets that are greater than income. When you spend more than you bring in, the term that applies is “deficit”.

For 2023-2024:

• All Income is projected to be $895,070.
• Spending is planned to be $1,060,887, which is a deficit of $165,817 (18.5%).

For 2022-2023:

• All Income is projected to be $860,412.
• Spending is planned to be $942,719, which is a deficit of $82,307 (9.5%)

For 2021-2022:

• All Income was $869,203.
• Spending was $826,722, which is an overage of $42,481 (4.8%)

For 2020-2021:

• All Income was $838,425.
• Spending was $908,411, which is a deficit of $69,986 (8.3%)

The needed operating funds for LB-20 (spending minus income) are being spent from the cash balances (“available cash on hand”), which are being steadily reduced.

The other funds are independent of this operating fund and are not included here. The ending reserves are about $400,000, which will last only a few years at this rate.

If the resources are reduced to zero, the spending must be reduced or income must increase. Almost all of the income for the budget comes from your property taxes. The tax is being levied (assessed) at the maximum rate allowed by law.

All of this is in the approved budget papers available at the library.

Robert Wilson (Position 3), Ronn Johnson (Position 4), and Sue Dodgen (Position 5), if elected, have a plan to remedy this. Please vote for all three of us.

Susan (Sue) Dodgen

Brookings