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Government

Library Budget Outlook Improves

Michelle O'Neill
/
WVIK News

The Rock Island Library may be able to keep one of its branches open after all. Monday night, library officials presented an updated budget for next year that includes the 30-31 branch.

Library director, Angela Campbell, says preliminary work on the budget last summer caused its board to approve closing the branch. But more work since then brought some good news.

"We get actual numbers rather than projected numbers for things like health care. We've also had some staff retirements and not hired for some positions. That's changed the outlook for our budget."

 
The good news includes rising property values which will mean an additional 30,000 dollars next year for the library's operating expenses. And the city was able to find some money for capital projects. 

Campbell says the current plan calls for cutting back the hours at the 30-31 branch from 60 to 48 per week, reducing the weekly hours at the Southwest Branch by 7 hours, but keeping the main library open at its current 60 hours.

And she'll know for sure next month when the Rock Island city council sets the tax levy for next year. 

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.