Rochester, N.Y.-- Here is a repost of an article than appears in today's Democrat & Chronicle. Library workers for the City of Rochester are represented by CSEA and it's parent international union, AFSCME.
Written by Brian Sharp
State budget cuts will force the Central Library downtown to open later and close earlier starting this summer, and could result in as many as 15 layoffs, officials say.
Further reductions are possible as Mayor-elect Thomas Richards this week began sifting through city budget-cutting options with even more troubling scenarios that include closing the Highland and Charlotte branch libraries.
Officials stress that closures are hypothetical, and that they would be reluctant to take such drastic action because of the signal it would send to the community. The suggestion, along with cuts to the branch libraries' materials budget and cleaning staff, are among options to be vetted before Richards presents his 2011-12 budget proposal in mid-May.
"We have to be very careful that we don't give a signal to the citizens of the city that we have lost the ballgame," said Acting Mayor Carlos Carballada, who met with Richards on Wednesday and again Thursday to discuss the budget and other matters. "(But) we have to be open with what we face, the process we have to go through."
That process is likely to include neighborhood quadrant meetings before any decision is made.
The city's projected budget gap stands at $50 million. Mid-year cuts adopted last month put $2.8 million toward closing the gap. Outside of spending cuts, there are minimal offsets possible in city reserves or tax and fee increases. Libraries are not the only department facing possible reductions. The city's police and fire departments each have been asked to develop scenarios for potential reductions nearing or exceeding $6 million, respectively.
Workers are bracing for the worst
"Everyone is waiting for (Richards') lead," said Ove Overmyer, president of the CSEA union that represents part-time city library employees. "There's going to be pain. People are nervous. It's horrible."
Richards will be sworn in once election results are certified on April 11.
The mayor-elect said he plans to share budget-cutting options during those yet-to-be-scheduled community meetings.
"At a minimum, when we go through this public process, we have to make sure people have a realistic grip on what the options are. It doesn't make sense for us to go out and say, 'Does anybody have any ideas?'" Richards said.
There is sure to be pushback. "It does pose some difficulties. People may get upset. But I don't see a choice."
Public input will be sought to confirm priorities, he said: "What are people willing to give up?"
The Central Library sees some of its heaviest use from residents of Brighton, Greece, Irondequoit, Henrietta and Pittsford. Central Library operations are primarily funded by Monroe County with some state aid, whereas the city covers operations of the 10 branch libraries.
Monroe County has no plans to cut library funding, spokesman Noah Lebowitz said Thursday. But state aid to the downtown operation has been cut five times in the past three years, including an anticipated 2011-12 reduction of $92,000. The plan was to cut 12 hours a week, mostly in weekday evenings. That could change, as the Legislature partially restored library funding statewide in the final budget adopted this week.
"We've got nowhere else to cut other than staffing and hours, as we are organized right now," library director Patricia Uttaro said. "Our next steps will be a drop in reserves, and we will look at additional personnel ... most likely in management and upper-management levels where direct public service is not going to be affected."
The suggestion to close branch libraries came from the Rochester Public Library board's finance committee, having been given the scenario of a roughly 15 percent, or $646,000, budget cut by the administration. The board concluded that citywide cuts to services and hours would be "too devastating," Uttaro said.
Thus, the option was closure, and branches were suggested in the southeast and northwest as each quadrant has three branches, whereas the southwest and northeast each have two.
Written by Brian Sharp
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| B. Sharp |
Further reductions are possible as Mayor-elect Thomas Richards this week began sifting through city budget-cutting options with even more troubling scenarios that include closing the Highland and Charlotte branch libraries.
Officials stress that closures are hypothetical, and that they would be reluctant to take such drastic action because of the signal it would send to the community. The suggestion, along with cuts to the branch libraries' materials budget and cleaning staff, are among options to be vetted before Richards presents his 2011-12 budget proposal in mid-May.
"We have to be very careful that we don't give a signal to the citizens of the city that we have lost the ballgame," said Acting Mayor Carlos Carballada, who met with Richards on Wednesday and again Thursday to discuss the budget and other matters. "(But) we have to be open with what we face, the process we have to go through."
That process is likely to include neighborhood quadrant meetings before any decision is made.
The city's projected budget gap stands at $50 million. Mid-year cuts adopted last month put $2.8 million toward closing the gap. Outside of spending cuts, there are minimal offsets possible in city reserves or tax and fee increases. Libraries are not the only department facing possible reductions. The city's police and fire departments each have been asked to develop scenarios for potential reductions nearing or exceeding $6 million, respectively.
Workers are bracing for the worst
"Everyone is waiting for (Richards') lead," said Ove Overmyer, president of the CSEA union that represents part-time city library employees. "There's going to be pain. People are nervous. It's horrible."
Richards will be sworn in once election results are certified on April 11.
The mayor-elect said he plans to share budget-cutting options during those yet-to-be-scheduled community meetings.
"At a minimum, when we go through this public process, we have to make sure people have a realistic grip on what the options are. It doesn't make sense for us to go out and say, 'Does anybody have any ideas?'" Richards said.
There is sure to be pushback. "It does pose some difficulties. People may get upset. But I don't see a choice."
Public input will be sought to confirm priorities, he said: "What are people willing to give up?"
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| Rundel Memorial Library Building Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County photo: Ove Overmyer |
Monroe County has no plans to cut library funding, spokesman Noah Lebowitz said Thursday. But state aid to the downtown operation has been cut five times in the past three years, including an anticipated 2011-12 reduction of $92,000. The plan was to cut 12 hours a week, mostly in weekday evenings. That could change, as the Legislature partially restored library funding statewide in the final budget adopted this week.
"We've got nowhere else to cut other than staffing and hours, as we are organized right now," library director Patricia Uttaro said. "Our next steps will be a drop in reserves, and we will look at additional personnel ... most likely in management and upper-management levels where direct public service is not going to be affected."
The suggestion to close branch libraries came from the Rochester Public Library board's finance committee, having been given the scenario of a roughly 15 percent, or $646,000, budget cut by the administration. The board concluded that citywide cuts to services and hours would be "too devastating," Uttaro said.
Thus, the option was closure, and branches were suggested in the southeast and northwest as each quadrant has three branches, whereas the southwest and northeast each have two.
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