Libraries, like all public institutions, face rising costs over time: staff wages, insurance, utilities, and materials all increase year over year. To stay ahead of these pressures, many libraries request modest cost-of-living adjustments, ensuring financial sustainability and continuity of service rather than allowing gaps to grow and requiring larger corrections later.
The new library has been designed with future costs in mind. Based on current projections, we anticipate an increase of up to 10 % in operating costs for the new space. As a service organization, our biggest expense is personnel — the people who staff the building seven days a week, acquiring and processing materials, providing programs and technology support, and making the library the resource our community depends on. Even though the new building will double our current space, its flexible and efficient design means we will not need additional staff to run it.
Some costs will increase. Insurance and cleaning expenses are tied to square footage, so those will rise. We also expect higher technology and utility costs, though we are prioritizing sustainable design features that will benefit both the environment and our operating budget over the long term.
We do not anticipate needing a corresponding levy increase to cover these higher operating costs. The gap will be bridged through ongoing fundraising efforts, Friends of the Library memberships, in-library and annual book sales, grants, and interest from the library’s investment holdings — revenue streams that have long supported the library and will continue to do so.
That said, any future increase request, should one ever be needed, must be approved by voters.