La Grange Library Needs Your Help

A view of the LaGrange library's front entrance.

The Oldham County Public Library is a recipient of KDLA construction funds. The Kentucky Senate version of the state budget would reduce our current construction grant amounts. As you know, this is on buildings already built and which already have outstanding debt obligations. The Senate version of the budget cuts 1.5 percent in the first year of the biennium for construction grants. There is an additional 1 percent cut to construction grant money in the second year, making the total cut in the second year 2. percent.

Along with the immediate pain of trying to balance the library budget with this and the recurring cuts to state aid, there are possible long-term ramifications for the future of the construction grant program. A significant long-term problem is that, even if we get more funding to offer more construction grants, lenders (mostly buyers of bonds) will see a greater risk in loaning to libraries using state construction grants to help pay down that debt. This could negatively affect bond ratings and interest rates, both of which have typically been very favorable for our library projects.

Please call your Senator and Representative as soon as possible, as well as the legislators listed below. Let them know that the budget cuts for Kentucky’s public libraries are severe and, in addition to the 24 percent cut in funding for Kentucky’s public libraries have already sustained over the last year and a half, WILL negatively impact the operations of Kentucky’s public libraries. Remind them also that there could be long-term impacts on the ability of libraries that want to fund future construction projects using state grants.

Please call 800-372-7181 and leave a message for your legislators. If you want to leave a message for the entire Conference Committee, you can just tell the operator to do so. If the operator asks for a bill number, just tell him/her that it’s the legislative budget It will take only about three minutes and the operator will direct your message to all 20 of the senators and representatives in the committee. Our own Ernie Harris is vice chair of the Senate committee and Rick Rand is chair of the House committee. Tell them that balancing the budget by reducing construction funding will seriously harm public libraries in the state.

The conference committee which will decide on the final version of the budget includes:

Senate