10 a 12 Resolution No. 10-09 COUNTY COUNCIL OF HARFORD COUNTY, MARYLAND. Resolution No. 10-09 Legislative Session Day 09-21 Tune 16, 2009 Introduced by Council President Boniface and Council Members Woods and Shrodes A RESOLUTION encouraging the Director of the Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Public Library Board of Trustees to keep all the library branches open. Resolution No. 10-09Bune 10 1 12 13 14 15 16 7 18 19 20 24 22 23 24 25 26 7 28 29 30 a1 Resolution No. 10-09 WHEREAS, While the Council does not have the authority to dictate how the Harford County Public Library system spends the appropriation proposed by the County Executive each fiscal year and ultimately approved by the Council during the budget process, we ask that you consider the following; and WHEREAS, From July 1 2006 to June 30 2007 the library system operated ALL 11 branches with a total appropriation from the County of $14,361,956; and WHEREAS, From July 1* 2007 to June 30" 2008 the library system operated ALL 11 branches with a total appropriation from the County of $15,705,461, an increase of $1,343,505 (10%) from the previous year; and WHEREAS, During the FY2009 budget process, the County Executive proposed a total appropriation of $16,667,988 which the Council approved for the library system to operate with from July 1 2008 to June 30" 2009, an increase of $889,245 (6%) from the previous year; and WHEREAS, In December 2008, due to realization that the County’s revenue sources for FY2009 were significantly lower than projected, the County Executive requested that the library system operate with $833,400 less than appropriated which amounted to an operating budget of $15,834,588 from July 1* 2008 to June 30" 2009; and WHEREAS, During the FY2010 budget process the County Executive proposed a total appropriation of $16,118,050 for the library system’s operating budget from July 1* 2009 to June 30 2010, an increase of $283,462 from what the library system was requested to operate with during FY2009; and WHEREAS, Concerned with the uncertainty of future county revenue projections and the resolve to assist property owners with increases in property assessments, the Council reduced the operating budgets of each department and county funded agency excluding education and public safety by 5% resulting in a total reduction of $5,521,253 from the General Fund Estimated Revenues for Property taxes; and WHEREAS, This allowed for a reduction of almost 2 cents off the property tax rate at a time when the residents of Harford County need it the most; and WHEREAS, This reduction amounted to a total appropriation of $15,312,147 for the library’s operating budget from Harford County Government for July 1* 2009 to June 30" 2010; and Resolution No. 10-0910 1 12 13 14 15 16 7 18 19 Resolution No. 10-09 WHEREAS, This appropriation was $522,441 (4%) less than they were requested to operate with this current year, $393,314 (3%) less than appropriated in 2008 but $950,191 (7%) more than approved in 2007; and WHEREAS, The budget was approved by the Council on May 29, 2009 and signed into law by the County Executive on June 2", 2009; and WHEREAS, Now recognizing that the Harford County Public Library System operated all 11 branches in 2007 with almost a million dollars less than has been approved for them to ‘operate in 2009. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the County Council of Harford County, Maryland, that the County Council encourages the Director of the Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Public Library Board of Trustees to reduce operating costs, in other areas rather than closing any of the 11 branches under their authority. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that recognizing that the Harford County Charter ‘grants the County Executive the authority to request approval from the Council to transfer available operating funds from one department or agency to another during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, the County Council encourages the Director of the Harford County Public Library and the Harford County Public Library Board of Trustees to work with the County Executive to take advantage of this provision of the law to ensure that access to all 11 branches remains available to the public during the upcoming year. ATTEST: Barbara J. O°Connor Council Administrator ADOPTED: June 16, 2009 Resolution No. 10-09