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Vernon Area Library officials finalizing $8 million budget

With an eye toward future facility improvements, Vernon Area Public Library District officials are finalizing a nearly $8 million budget for the next fiscal year.

The library board and administrators will meet Monday night to discuss the proposed spending plan. The session is set for 7 p.m. in the library's annex building, 4 Indian Creek Road, Lincolnshire.

Officials predict they'll spend nearly $8 million on staff salaries, new books, programs and equipment and in other categories during the new fiscal year, which begins July 1. That's up nearly 3.9 percent from the roughly $7.7 million estimate in the 2018 budget.

Library spokeswoman Catherine Savage attributed the increase to anticipated maintenance work and facility-related projects that will be identified in a space needs study now underway.

A Chicago firm called StudioGC is analyzing library operations to suggest changes that could streamline operations, improve service, increase efficiency and reduce overhead, Savage said. The study cost $16,000 and was included in the 2018 budget.

The results of that study, as well as a facility assessment conducted in 2017, will be used to guide decisions about the main building, the annex, parking lots and more in the years ahead, Savage said.

Some of those projects could begin during the 2019 fiscal year, she said.

To fund those and other efforts, officials expect to collect about $7.7 million in property taxes and other revenue during the year. That's up about 4 percent from the current fiscal year's $7.4 million estimate.

Tax revenue is up a bit mostly because of property development in the district, Savage said.

The roughly $307,000 difference between spending and revenue will be made up with cash from savings, Savage said.

The library board likely will approve the budget in July or August, once there's been time for public review.

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