Residents rally around Wheaton library

Dozens of Wheaton Public Library supporters came together Monday to urge the city council to save the library from the budget ax.

Facing a projected $1.5 million deficit in the city's 2010-11 budget, council members are considering is a plan to reduce the library's allocation of property tax dollars by $300,000.

In response, most of the roughly 90 people who attended Monday's council meeting were residents opposed to seeing the library's $4.2 million budget cut. Some even said the library should get more than the $3.4 million in property tax dollars it now receives.

"Your job is not just to balance the budget," resident Joe Jeffrey told city council members. "It's to do what's best for the city while balancing the budget."

In addition to Wheaton's schools and churches, Jeffrey said, the library is a jewel that makes the community stand out.

"When a business sacrifices what makes it unique, it goes downhill," Jeffrey said. "Cities are no different. One of our jewels is not the place to cut."

The library implemented a variety of cuts after its funding was slashed last year. As a result, the library is closed on Friday evenings, department heads' salaries are frozen and there's less money to purchase books, periodicals and audiovisual materials.

Library board President Colleen McLaughlin said the proposed $300,000 reduction in funding would lead to library staff getting 10 percent pay cuts and taking furlough days. The library also would be open fewer hours a week.

Resident Mary McCann says that would be devastating for a facility she describes as "the busiest building in downtown."

With the library averaging roughly 50,000 visitors a month, McCann said residents expect to find it open so they can take advantage of everything it has to offer.

Despite the public plea, council members aren't making any promises to leave the library's funding levels unchanged.

Councilman Tom Mouhelis said after Monday's meeting the council would need to reduce funding for other city departments to accomplish that.

"Do I cut cops? Do I cut firefighters? Or do I cut money for the library?" he said. "This is not an easy decision."