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Mayor Rybak Proposes $2.1 million to Open 3 Libraries
If Approved, United Library System Would Sustain 15 Libraries Long-term
Mar. 7, 2007 (MINNEAPOLIS) -- Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak today announced a proposal to spend an additional $2.1 million to re-open Roosevelt, Southeast and Webber Park libraries that were closed earlier this year.
This $2.1 million funding is in addition to the $1.2 million supplemental appropriation the City gave to the Library Board as part of their 2007 City budget. This proposal was developed by Mayor Rybak, Council President Johnson, Council Member Paul Ostrow and Council Member Betsy Hodges and will be considered by the full City Council this week.
The funding is part of the City’s effort to unify their libraries with the County, pending legislative approval of the library unification. In addition, Mayor Rybak also pledged to add another $500,000 from the City’s capital budget for library building improvements and renovation.
When presenting the funding to members of the Library Board, Mayor Rybak said he strongly supports the unification of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library systems and applauded the Board for their work on the unification process.
“This unification will create a premier library system that maximizes the best of our Minneapolis and Hennepin County libraries,” Mayor Rybak said. “A unified system would also bring more stable funding to sustain the world class library system that Minneapolis and Hennepin County deserve.”
“I want to thank Library Board members, Hennepin Country Commissioners and everyone else involved in developing this responsible proposal for a united system. I look forward to working with them to get support at City Hall and the State Capitol to make this plan a reality.”
The additional City funding would allow the three closed libraries to re-open at last year’s levels of 20-24 hours per week hours, during the transition to a united library system with Hennepin County. The $2.1 million additional City funding for the three libraries will come from a forthcoming insurance premium rebate this year and future general fund budget appropriations in 2008 and 2009, contingent upon legislative approval of the city-county library unification.
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