Fiscal Bureau Issues Library Budget Options for Joint Finance Committee

Legislative Alert!

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) analyses of library-related budget items has been released for use by the Joint Finance Committee as they continue executive sessions on the 2011-13 state executive budget. Paper #562 gives background and funding options for public library system aids, maintenance of effort funding for public libraries, statewide resource contracts and BadgerLink. WLA supports the following alternatives provided by the LFB:

A. Maintenance of Effort: Alternative #3: Delete the provision that would eliminate MOE funding for public libraries. 

WLA opposes Alternative #1, which is to retain the budget language proposed by Governor Walker. WLA also opposes Alternative #2, which would allow MOE to be suspended for the 2011-13 biennium. WLA had offered a compromise that would have allowed up to a 10% cut to MOE-level funding as a way of protecting libraries from bearing the brunt of local budget cuts. Without some minimum funding protections, communities that don't adequately fund their libraries strain the resources of neighboring communities that do.


B. Aid to Public Library Systems and Library Service Contracts: Alternatives #2a, 2b, and 2c to provide an additional $4,082,200 SEG to the base for these programs. 

As state funding to library programs is provided through the Universal Service Fund, there is no impact on the general fund. In addition, maintaining this SEG funding also protects about $3 million in federal funding through LSTA that Wisconsin can ill-afford to lose.

Please contact your legislators about this matter!

WLA Issues Legislative Alert on Maintenance of Effort Funding for Public Libraries

WLA today issued the first of several planned legislative alerts to restore library programs that were cut as part of  the proposed 2011-13 State Executive Budget. First on the docket is support for retaining public library maintenance of effort funding.

Under current Wisconsin Statutes 43.15 (4)(c), in order to take advantage of the significant benefits of public library system membership, local libraries must meet several requirements. One membership requirement is that the local library be funded at a level that is not lower than the average funding for the previous three years.  This requirement is commonly referred to as maintenance of effort - or as WLA has dubbed it, maintenance of membership support (MOMS). (More about MOMS)

ACTION TO BE TAKEN:  Please contact your State Senator and Assembly Representative and ask for their support of either of the two MOE options described below.

1st OPTION:  separate bill
i.    WLA requests that the proposal to eliminate MOE as a requirement for public library system membership be removed from the Governor’s 2011-13 budget and be considered on its own merits as a separate bill.
ii.    Primary reasons for doing so:
1.    It’s a policy item
2.    It has no fiscal impact at the state level.

2nd OPTION:  compromise language in 2011-13 budget proposal
iii.    As an alternative, WLA recommends that municipalities and counties may cut up to 10% of the MOE appropriation in first year of biennium; no further cuts in second year of biennium.  This is similar to funding pattern for many other items in the Governor’s proposed budget.
iv.    Sunset provision, i.e., the compromise language is in effect for just the 2011-13 biennium.

3 things to keep in mind.
•    In the current political environment, Republicans legislators need to be our primary contacts.
•    Best approach.   Schedule a meeting at a public library in the district with each legislator and library representatives (directors, board members, local advocates).
•    Our ultimate goal is to forward this message to the members of the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) – Republicans in particular.  Ideally, the message needs to be delivered by legislators sympathetic to the WLA position and by constituents (i.e. your library advocates) of JFC members.

As a result of conversations that took place on Library Legislative Day and at libraries in legislators’ home districts, we already have a number of Republicans who are sympathetic to WLA’s position on MOE.  (And we hope to identify more once we analyze the MOE survey results.)

Please keep WLA posted about the results of your contacts with state legislators on this matter.

WLA Warns of Significant Threats to Libraries in Governor Walker’s Budget Proposal

The Wisconsin Library Association warns of significant threats to library service if Governor Walker’s proposed biennial budget is approved. Major reductions in school aids, shared revenue to municipalities and UW System aids will mean reduced access to information and professional librarians in public, K-12 and higher education libraries. Wisconsinites could experience reduced access to job training and search tools, interlibrary loan, legal and health information, and school library materials and computers.

“This budget threatens library service at a time when we should be investing in 21st century information resources for all Wisconsin citizens,” said WLA President Rhonda Puntney.  For instance, 10 percent cuts to BadgerLink, the statewide database of thousands of full text newspapers, journals and other resources, will mean the loss of comprehensive job training and search tools during a time of high unemployment.

Shared revenue cuts and the elimination of fair funding rules for membership in library consortia will likely result in curtailed service at many public libraries, with the closure of smaller libraries also possible.

“WLA acknowledges that many programs must share in the pain as our economy struggles to recover, but it is counterproductive to cut libraries when use is increasing and these institutions have been models of efficiency and resource sharing,” said Puntney.

During the last 5 years, public library visits have increased by more than 10% and loans of library materials have increased 15%. During the same time, the number of paid staff has increased less than 1%, according to statistics reported annually by public libraries to the Department of Public Instruction. Nationally, Wisconsin’s public libraries rank 8th in circulation, but 22nd for total operating revenue and 20th for paid library staff per capita.

In addition to lean times for public libraries, students in K-12 and higher education have also suffered the effects of budget cuts that have reduced professional staff to serve students and print and electronic materials. While librarians across the UW System have cooperated to increase shared collections and therefore reduce costs for all, those efficiencies could be threatened by a plan to spin-off UW-Madison, and potentially UW-Milwaukee, into a separate public authority. A $6 million initiative to boost statewide digital resources and make the UW System more competitive with institutions in other states was also not funded.

WLA asks legislators to restore funding levels to allow libraries to continue to share resources and provide the broadest possible access to information, to help grow Wisconsin’s economy and educate its citizenry.

Proposed Budget Cuts Shared Revenue, School Aids, UW System, Maintenance of Effort for Public Libraries

Governor Walker introduced the 2011-13 Executive State Budget (AB 40) in an address to a joint legislative session Tuesday at 4 p.m. He outlined cuts to shared revenue totaling $96 million in fiscal year 2012, and capped local levy increases at the greater of 0 percent or the gain in value due to net new construction, while also extending levy limits for two years.

K-12 school aids will be cut $749.4 million over the biennium. Revenue caps will be reduced 5.5 percent below those in place during fiscal year 2010-11.

In addition, the UW-Madison and the UW System will share cuts totaling $250 million. The budget also calls for UW-Madison to become an "independent public authority with greater flexibility to manage compensation, human resources, tuition and capital projects." The UW System would also be required to expend $250,000 to develop a plan to convert UW-Milwaukee to a public authority.

Budget documents also reveal elimination of maintenance of effort (MOE) funding for public libraries.  The budget document reads, "The Governor recommends eliminating the requirement that municipalities and counties maintain annual local expenditures for public libraries at the average of the prior three years as a condition for being a member of a public library system."

The move to eliminate MOE was expected as Walker had promised to provide local governments with "tools" and "flexibility" to help balance their budgets. In addition, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities had listed repeal of library MOE funding as a priority on their legislative agenda, and maintenance of effort had been targeted for elimination by Republican lawmakers in previous legislative sessions. The City of Milwaukee had also recently sought relief from MOE requirements.

The proposed budget appears to decrease by 10 percent funding for public library systems, BadgerLink and statewide contracts in the first year of the biennium, with flat funding in the second. DPI is continuing to analyze the budget to determine the detailed ramifications of the budget bill.