BARRHEAD - The Town of Barrhead council needs to improve its lobbying techniques dramatically.
That was the consensus of councillors during their Nov. 14 meeting, at which they approved the Barrhead Public Library's 2024 operating budget at $386,877. The budget calls for the Barrhead municipalities to contribute an additional 45 cents per capita to putting the rate at $22.25.
It marks the third time the library has asked the municipalities to increase their contribution in three years.
The library board also asks the municipalities to chip in an additional $1,750 from the town and county for utilities and janitorial services, making their combined contribution $15,000.
The other primary source of revenue for the library comes from a provincial grant of $69,855 ($5.60 per capita, plus a $9,000 operational grant). The library also receives funds from the Pembina Hills School Division as it provides services to Barrhead Elementary School (BES). This year, the amount is pegged at $31,000.
On the expense side, employee salaries account for the most significant single expenditure at $262,731.
Library director Elaine Dickie told councillors, on behalf of the library board, the proposed 2024 operational budget represents a 3.2 per cent or $3,694 increase over last year's budget, and if one includes the increase of the municipal contribution to utilities and janitorial service, the town's overall contribution to the library will be $105,780.
She added that most of the increase would go towards a two per cent increase to the regular, permanent staff pay grid.
"We've not been good at making sure their wages have kept up," Dickie said.
However, she said, the municipal increase to the budget would not be enough to fund the addition to the pay grid, which is why she has opted to reduce the number of days she works, going down to a four-day week.
The increase to the staff pay grid, Dickie said, is also the reason why the board decided to ask the municipalities to increase the portion they pay towards utilities.
"The [municipal utility contributions] were capped several years ago at $5,750, but as you know, utilities are just outrageous now, which is why we are asking the municipalities for more, so we can still allocate the increase to our staff," she said.
It should be noted that Pembina Hills School Division arranges for and pays for 50 per cent of the library’s janitorial, snow removal and utilities.
Coun. Dave Sawatzky said he needed to understand why the amount contributed to the library budget by Pembina Hills School Division and BES continues to decrease.
"Even though you are in their building and their students come into the library, I don't understand why they continue to allow their funding to decrease yearly," he said.
"You are coming to us asking for more funding, but it does not feel that the school is paying their fair share."
Dickie agreed, saying she did not have a good answer to why the funding for the school continues to decrease.
"I understand that they are under a lot of pressure to keep up with the electronic/digital side, and they look at us as part of that same [funding pie] ... they tell me they just don't have the money," she said.
She added that 20 years ago, the school contributed $16,000 annually to help the library replace books.
Now, Dickie said, that figure is more like $3,000.
"That tells me they are not in a great place," she said. "But at the same time, they have 600 plus students, and they need to replace books so they are available to them."
Board chair Jane Kusal said what is happening in Barrhead is, unfortunately, becoming more common, saying school divisions across the province have decreased library funding.
"But from what it was to what we are getting now, it does feel like we are getting squeezed," she said. "When you think about it, the amount we as volunteers have to try to make up for that shortfall is astronomical."
However, Dickie said, to their credit the school does pay into the Yellowhead Regional Library (YRL), which as part of its services, does have a budget for book replacement.
She added that through the YRL book replacement program, Barrhead Public Library, receives $500.
Sawatzky responded by asking if there was anything they could do as a council to lobby the school division on their behalf.
Dickie did not have an answer.
Coun. Don Smith said it is just another example of how other levels of government continue to download their responsibilities onto municipalities.
"They keep downloading their responsibilities, whether it be for Family Community Support Services and libraries, because they know we will pay it because they provide such important services to our residents," he said.
Mayor Dave McKenzie agreed, saying the province is "downloading with abandon", adding he is not sure where it will stop.
Sawatzky asked if a letter-writing campaign to the Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon in the case of FCSS and Pembina Hills School Division trustees voicing their concerns was in order.
McKenzie suggested they needed to take another tact, although he did not know what it should be.
"As a council and administration, we need to have a conversation on how we can have more impact because what we have been doing hasn't been effective," he said, suggesting their upcoming budget retreat would be an excellent time to have that discussion.
