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Aurora libraries cut jobs

The Aurora Public Library is laying off 11 employees, not filling 10 open positions, closing a satellite location, and reducing hours at another branch - all part of a strategy to fill a $1.7 million budget hole, officials announced Tuesday.

The cost-cutting measures are expected to save the library more than $1 million and prevent a tax increase, officials said in a news release. Last year, the city council approved a tax rate increase from 24.5 cents to 25.5 cents per $100 of equalized assessed value - the first tax hike for library operations since 1996.

"The library board is committed to working within our fiscal constraints and is not looking for additional tax increases in 2017," said Board President John Savage in a statement. "We intend to present a balanced budget to the city while continuing to provide a high level of library service to Aurora residents. The majority of our cash reserves are now expended and we need to look to other measures."

The layoffs affect eight full-time and three part-time employees, who will work their last day Aug. 19. In total, the 21 positions being eliminated or not being filled include nine employees represented under a union contract, six management positions and six part-time, seasonal/temporary and administrative assistant jobs.

"We sought ways to close the gap without reducing our workforce," said Executive Director Daisy Porter-Reynolds in a statement. "We have not been filling vacant positions to save costs in the short term. Unfortunately, our revenue shortfall is large enough that we must resort to a reduction in force."

As part of the cost-reduction strategy, the library plans to shutter its Express Center, located at 1100 Church Road, early next year, since only 1 to 2 percent of the library system's total circulation is generated at that location.

Hours at the West Branch, 233 S. Constitution Drive, will be cut from 68 to 44 per week. Circulation has dropped there by more than 20 percent since the Richard and Gina Santori Library opened last year in downtown Aurora, officials said. The new hours take effect Aug. 20.

Officials say they will use a limited amount of cash reserves in order to balance the 2017 budget, and aren't ruling out other cost-savings measures.

After the job cuts, the library will have 161 full- and part-time employees across its three remaining locations.

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