Wednesday, September 14, 2011 – 5:30 P.M.
Headquarters Library – Meeting Room A
401 East University Avenue
Gainesville, Florida
The Alachua County Library District Governing Board met for the first Public Hearing on the budget.
PRESENT: Chair Scherwin Henry, presiding, Vice-Chair Paula M. DeLaney, Governors Thomas Hawkins, Lee Pinkoson, and Eileen Roy
ABSENT: Governor Mike Byerly
ALSO PRESENT: Library Director Shaney T. Livingston, Assistant County Attorney William Harlan, Deputy Clerk Bob Decker
The meeting was not televised.
Chair Henry opened the meeting at 5:30 P.M.
I. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Governor Pinkoson moved approval of the agenda. The motion carried 4-0 with Governor Hawkins out of the room.
II. INTRODUCTION TO HEARING ON THE LIBRARY DISTRICT BUDGET
Chair Henry stated, “This is the Public Hearing as required by Chapter 200, Florida Statutes.
“The proposed millage rate for operating purposes in the TRIM notice was 1.3638 mills which is less than the rolled back rate of 1.4195 mills.
“Citizens’ comments will be taken following the overview by the Interim Library Director. All citizens who wish to be heard should wait until the appropriate time when they will be individually recognized by the Chairman. I will identify each speaker and ask that speaker to address the Board. In order to expedite hearing your comments, we request that speakers limit their comments to five minutes. Please do not applaud or take other actions which might intimidate a speaker with a different point of view.
“This hearing will continue until everyone who wishes to address the Governing Board has an opportunity to speak.
“We will now begin with an overview by the County Attorney of the truth-in-millage legislation.”
III. OVERVIEW OF TRUTH-IN-MILLAGE LEGISLATION
Assistant County Attorney Bill Harlan stated, “In 1980, the Florida Legislature adopted what is known as the Truth in Millage Legislation or TRIM as it’s called. The goal of the legislation was to ensure that taxpayers were advised of the public hearings at which the local taxing authorities’ budgets and millage rates are considered and adopted. Each year, the Property Appraiser completes an assessment of the value of all property and certifies to each taxing authority the taxable value of the property within its jurisdiction. Each taxing authority then notifies the Property Appraiser of its proposed millage rate, its rolled back rate, and the date, time, and place of the Public Hearing to consider the proposed millage rate and the adjusted tentative budget. Once the Property Appraiser receives the information, he sends a notice by first class mail to every taxpayer on the assessment roll. The notice contains the information from the taxing authorities as to the proposed millage rate and the time and the place of the Public Hearing. The notice sent to the taxpayers is called the TRIM notice. The TRIM notice lists what the taxes were for the prior year, what the taxes will be if the proposed budget changes are made, and what the taxes will be if no budget changes are made. This information is listed for each taxing authority. The notice also lists all voted levies for debt service. The purpose of the TRIM notice is to provide taxpayers with sufficient basic information to enable them to participate in the public hearing process.”
IV. OVERVIEW OF TENTATIVE 2011-2012 DISTRICT-WIDE BUDGET
Library Director Shaney Livingston stated, “The proposed millage for the Library District-wide levy is 1.4790 mills. The total operating millage for the general fund is 1.3638 mills which is less than the rolled-back rate of 1.4195 mills. The total voted debt service on the District’s General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2011, is 0.1152 mills.
“The Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Tentative Budget reflects a 2.3 percent decrease in personnel, a 5 percent decrease in operating expenses, a 3.2 percent decrease in reserves, and the total budget reflects a 3.1 percent decrease from the current year’s budget.
“I’d like to highlight the changes in the budget since your July 14, 2011 meeting. These changes were made to include the approval of the Murphree Law Library. We increased revenues by approximately $74,000.00, the reimbursement from the Law Library. Salaries were increased by approximately $34,000.00. This will fund a part-time library specialist position, which will oversee the Murphree Law Library.
“Even with the increase of FTEs for the Murphree Law Library, the FTEs for this year will remain the same – as you recall, we eliminated one Division Director position from the budget. Expenses were increased by $50,000.00 to account for the purchase of materials and subscriptions for the Murphree Law Library. We also made the appropriate adjustments to the reserves based on the above changes. The current year millage rate is 1.3638 mills and it generates $16,464,000.00 revenue in the current year. The same millage for next year would generate $15,984,000.00 in revenue, a reduction of about $480,000.00. As you also recall, the growth in the tax base dropped by three percent. At this time I do not perceive this to be a hardship for the District next year as we do have a healthy ending fund balance. This budget does not include any cost of living or performance adjustments for next year. We are in the process of negotiations. If the Board approves something, then I would recommend we make that adjustment during the year to accommodate any change. In the operating budget, the major decrease is in professional services and insurance. This past year, staff was very creative and realized that we could do in-house printing. So this year going forward we implemented in-house printing and therefore eliminated our contract with Xerox which was about $125,000.00. Some of the service enhancements that are included in the budget next year include: to maintain our current service levels, realign staff as needed to provide better services, opening a temporary branch at Cone Park, working on network infrastructure and the District website, and continually looking at ways to communicate and build partnerships in the community.
“In the capital projects budget, we will transfer $1,200,000.00 from the General Fund. As you know the millage for capital projects sunset in 2001 so we no longer have the ability to get revenues in that fund. Some of the projects included in the Capital Projects List for next year include expansion for an Eastside Branch, an expansion at Headquarters Library in the Youth Services Area of about 3,000 square feet in the courtyard, a Teen Space near the Foundation room, and an integrated library system next year that includes circulation and all the functions we provide patron services for. The current system is twelve years old so we thought it was time for a new system. Mister Chair, that concludes my presentation. Are there any questions?”
Governor Hawkins entered the room at 5:37 P.M.
V. CITIZEN COMMENT
Chair Henry recognized Armando Grundy who presented comments to the Board.
VI. ADJUSTMENTS
There were no adjustments to the budget made by motion of the Board.
VII. ACTIONS
A. Announcement of the Rolled-Back Rate
Chair Henry stated, “The tentative millage rate for operating purposes for the Library District is proposed at 1.3638 mills. This rate is less than the rolled-back rate of 1.4195 mills described in Section 200 of the Florida Statutes. The total tentative millage rate for the Library District will be 1.4790 mills. We now need a motion to adopt the resolutions setting the millage rates and the budget.”
B. Adoption of Resolution 11-06 Establishing District-Wide Tentative Millage
Governor DeLaney moved adoption of Resolution 11-06 establishing a district-wide tentative millage. The motion carried 5-0.
C. Adoption of Resolution 11-07 Approving a Tentative District-wide Budget
Governor DeLaney moved adoption of Resolution 11-07 approving a tentative district-wide budget.
VIII. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TIME/PLACE OF FINAL PUBLIC HEARING
Chair Henry stated, “The final Public Hearing for the Library District will be Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 5:30 P.M. at the Headquarters Library, Meeting Room A. Are there any further questions or comments?”
IX. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 5:45 P.M.
________________________
J. K. Irby, Clerk to the Library
District Governing Board
