Creighton is being asked to shoulder more of the cost of the Flin Flon Public Library.
Library administrator Cindy McLean appeared before town council last week to request a more generous operating grant.
“If you look at Flin Flon’s contribution versus Creighton, there’s quite a difference,” she told council during a courteous, statistic-filled presentation.
According to McLean’s figures, Creighton’s annual grant to the library totals $15,921 or $10.63 per capita. She said Flin Flon gives $95,000, or $16.99 per capita.
During her presentation, McLean did not specify how much more Creighton might pay, nor did library chairman Buz Trevor in a letter presented to town council.
“The level of funding from Creighton has remained static for a number of years,” wrote Trevor. “As I am sure you and your council are aware, expenses continue to rise.”
In recognition of those rising expenses, McLean said both Flin Flon and Denare Beach boosted their grants last year.
She said Flin Flon went from $90,000 to $95,000 while Denare Beach went from $2,500 to $5,000. Denare Beach now pays $6.10 per capita, lower than both Flin Flon and Creighton.
Creighton’s grant stayed the same, said McLean, who also pointed out that the number of library members from Creighton increased last year.
Mayor Bruce Fidler agreed that the library’s request would be discussed as part of council’s budgeting process. The town budget is usually released in May.
Events
In making her case for more funding, McLean presented council with a lengthy list of community events hosted by the library over the past two years.
“We’re very proud that we [were] able to offer so many events and not charge anyone anything,” she said.
But McLean admitted the library is under financial pressure with a budget deficit of $1,000 to $1,500 anticipated this year.
She said the library board will hold a meeting to discuss balancing the budget. In an interview after her presentation, she said a reduction in hours could be up for discussion.
McLean told council that overall library funding “hasn’t increased much over the years,” rising $20,000 between 2005 and 2013 for a total of $189,000.
McLean’s funding figures show that on a per capita basis, Flin Flon pays 1.6 times as much for the library as does Creighton – and that doesn’t include capital costs funded entirely by Flin Flon.
However, the Saskatchewan government provides an annual grant to the library in recognition of usage by Creighton and Denare Beach residents. This year the grant totals $18,421.
The Saskatchewan funding comes from the government-funded Pahkisimon Nuye-áh Library System (PNLS). The Manitoba government also helps fund the library.
