Laserfiche WebLink
7 <br />That leaves me with the most realistic outcome: nothing happens and we stay with the city. The mayor has <br />committed to cutting almost $2 million from our budget. That might not seem a lot when $500k is an <br />acceptable amount to investigate improving a stadium to please a private business that people need to pay to <br />get into, but that’s a huge chunk of our budget. To put things into perspective, the entire materials budget for <br />adults in 2024 is $550,500 - that is all we have to spend on books, media, databases, ebooks, etc.. Basically <br />everything but programming aimed at our adult users. We are one of the last remaining things people can do <br />in our city to enjoy themselves without having to pay money. We live in a very expensive place where the cost <br />of living is constantly rising. People are making the choice between rent and groceries. Good library <br />programming can be a sanity saver for those trying to get by. They can be a sanity saver for those who just <br />want variety and an escape from commercialism in general. Unabashedly authentic and driven by the unique <br />character of our community’s interests, not our own drive for profit.   <br />  <br />It would be such a relief to be fully supported so that we can continue to support you, but there is no clear end <br />in sight. I remember a time when we actually did a fair amount of the things that sno-isle would be offering if <br />we got folded in; the loss of our outreach program with its bookmobile and homebound services to the <br />structural deficit was a terrible blow. I would have loved to have had all that during lockdown to help all those <br />isolated people. Perhaps if our city had stopped shying away from the difficult conversation about the levy lift <br />years ago we could have saved some of the things we loved. It's not too late now.  <br />  <br />I am asking you to hit the brakes and take the time to truly consider what you are undertaking. There is no <br />going back once this is lost. I feel like this kind of decision deserves careful planning and consideration, and <br />not a frantic scramble to hit a ballot deadline because everyone is tired of this coming up and nothing ever <br />happening. This is literally the future of our community’s character, not just one library system. It’s a matter of <br />how we fund what we want and need, and what we choose to prioritize. The library is just the wedge in this <br />moment. What else gets pawned off after this when the budget hole is still there because the funding model is <br />still there? Eventually all our taxes are going to pay for will be policing and the executive suite. Please choose <br />wisely; this is your chance to get this right for future generations, once and for all.  <br />  <br />Thank you so much for your time, I know that was a lot to get through.  <br />  <br />Gratefully,  <br />  <br />EPL staff