The Great Neck Library Board of Trustees held a budget work session on March 14 to review the first draft of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2007.

The projected costs to run the library system next year come in at $8,179,600, a 4.1 percent increase. The amount to be raised by taxation would be $7,840,000, a 3.9 percent increase from the 2006 budget. Revenues from such items as fines, fees, interest, commissions, gifts and book sales are estimated to provide $192,100. Transfers from other funds, the applied balance, will amount to $147,500.

The budget document includes an explanation regarding the impact on taxpayers: "The library has control only of its expenditures, and establishes a budget to do so. This preliminary working budget draft proposes a 4.1 percent increase in expenditures, which would require a 3.9 percent increase in tax revenues. However, actual tax rates and assessments are handled by Nassau County, not by the library or the school district. In the past several years, the county has changed assessments and tax rates for most taxpayers each year. There is no way to predict what impact this 3.9 percent increase in tax revenues will have on any particular property. The 2006 assessed valuation for Class 1 property was computed at one quarter of one percent of full value. Last year, the assessment for Class 1 was computed at one half of one percent of full value. Therefore, last year's tax rate cannot be compared to this year's rate."

The lion's share of the costs to run the library system is for salaries and benefits. Total salaries are $4,580,700, a 2.9 percent increase over the 2006 budget and the benefits come in at $1,680,600, a 6.4 percent increase. The total library materials and programs are projected to cost $891,000, a 3.1 percent increase. Library operations costs, such as office and computer supplies, equipment maintenance, telephone and the like are projected at $267,900, a 5.1 percent increase. Building operations costs, such as electricity, gas, water, sewer, rents and insurance are projected at $710,600, a 7.9 percent increase. A total of $48,000 is budgeted for furniture and equipment, no increase from last year's budget.

The trustees combed through the expenditure items asking questions about why certain costs were on the rise and making suggestions for revisions in the next draft. While the first budget work session was sparsely attended by the public last week, it is an eye-opening way to get to understand the workings of the library system and an opportunity to have meaningful input into the decision making process in an informal setting.

Copies of the proposed budget are available at Main and all branches and members of the public are encouraged to review the document. The next budget work session to examine the second draft of the 2007 budget will be held on Tuesday, March 28 at 8 p.m. at Main. As always, the public is invited to attend.