The Tumbler Ridge Public Library’s budget came before council on April 4, and failed to pass.
Councillor Gulick says she’s a big fan of the library, having worked there until she became a councillor. “I think that they do a lot of amazing things for our community,” she says. “But—and so it pains me say this—I cannot support the full amount that they’re asking for.”
She says this year, council is facing hard decisions, and this is one of them. “I just go back to what we’re looking at in taxation,” she says. What’s the right amount? “I don’t know what that looks like,” she admits. “I don’t have an amount in mind. I think I’m looking to hear from the rest of council. “It’s a big increase.”
Councillor Hofman says he’s in favour of the budget. “I know we’ve gone back and forth on this, and there seems to be a lot of history on this issue as well. I’ve spent more time thinking about this than I have on any other particular issue. This is not a fee for service ask. This is under a separate legislation. And when we try to treat it as a fee for service I think we’re making a mistake. There’s a fiduciary between the budget and the library and council. The only way that I can support anything other than the ask for amount is if you convince me the fiduciary has done something wrong in this case. And if we’re looking at the budget and there’s nothing wrong with this budget, I believe quite firmly that the only thing we can do is support the budget.”
Councillor Noksana says the ask is too much. “This is a 13% increase in the Tumbler Ridge Library’s request over last year. In 2020 they received $369,000. They’re asking for almost $100,000 more than they were given four years ago. That’s a lot of money and we are answerable to the taxpayers. I’m not sure what the answer is, but I can’t support this increase in front of us.”
Despite councillor Hofman’s comments, says Mayor Krakowka, council is able to change the amount they give to the library, and can increase or decrease the amount if they so choose.
And, despite being the library’s representative and having agreed with the budget as submitted, Councillor Klikach says he’s looking at what this year’s budget, and agrees that the amount needs to be reduced. “Looking at the budget and what we have to deal with this year in taxation, I think we have to ask them to reduce their amount,” says Klikach. “I think we should send this back to the library trustees. I just feel that this is too high. The taxpayers are starting to cry already and we haven’t even done anything yet. We should see that this is lowered by at least 5 percent.”
Councillor Noksana says she agrees the library offers great service. “However, this level of funding is not sustainable for a district of 2,400 people. I would be more comfortable with asking the trustee board to look at last year’s budget and bring something back more in line with that.”
Councillor Hofman says one of the reasons for the increase this year to the library’s budget after a 12 percent increase last year is simply math. “The amount last year was not to restore funding for the last four years. With what the inflation rate has been, if the funding drops eight percent, then we restore five percent, and then 12 percent with the two highest years of Covid years alone, that’s not even close to restoring funding. Last year’s 12 percent increase would have just covered last year’s near-10 percent inflation rate. It’s not just the library. Materials, wages, everything is up way more than 20 percent of what it was five years ago.”
If you have $100, and you remove 20 percent, you’ll have $80 left over, having removed $20. However, if you have $80 and you want to restore the original amount, you’ll have to add 25 percent back. While the actual amount is the same, by using percentages, it sounds like it’s more.
Councillor Hofman moves to have a report generated as to what the library funding would be if it had only gone up based on inflation rates over the last few years, but the motion is defeated.
Instead of coming up with an alternative amount, Council has returned the budget to the library board, asking for a number that would “be happy for the council of the day.”
Says Mayor Krakowka. “Council is not happy with the figure that’s in front of us. That’s why the motion [to pass the library’s budget] was not seconded. So we’re directing staff to reach out to the trustees, have them do their thing and get it back in front of Council.”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.