On the heels of a discussion Saturday by the Sioux City Council members to potentially cut the city library budget by 25 percent, some community members are pushing back.
The city council in the next few weeks will finalize a 2026-27 fiscal year budget, so supporters of the three-branch library system are speaking out.
According to the Sioux City Journal, during the Saturday session covering operating budget segments for city departments, Councilman Rick Bertrand pointed to a library cut with $1 million, Councilwoman Julie Schoenherr proposed a 25 percent cut, which would also roughly be $1 million.
On Monday, Sioux City Library Director Helen Rigdon told Siouxland Public Media News that such cuts would be “scary” in terms of reduced services.
The proposed 2027 year budget shows funding roughly close to the current year, with $3.8 million in both years.
The city’s Effective Fiscal and Public Policy Committee members on Feb. 11 held a “library model discussion,” according to the agenda. Schoenherr said the committee recommended reducing the system to smaller branches, perhaps closing the large downtown library that opened in 1990.
Rigdon, who is retiring in April, noted that the city council sets a budget amount for departments, but Iowa law holds that the city’s library board has the sole power to make any changes in services and branches.
Since that weekend budget meeting, lots of residents via social media have said no library branches should be closed. A periodic budget proposal in recent years has been to possibly close the Perry Creek branch just off Hamilton Boulevard.
The council members could make some important budget decisions in a next budget-meeting on March 18.
The proposed operating budget for the year ahead is just under $259 million, which is up one-half of one percent from the current budget of $257.5 million.
About 13 percent of that proposed budget covers city debt payments.
Since being elected in November, Bertrand has said the city budget needs to get leaner to reduce taxes.
In related news, all Iowa school districts, cities and counties must set FY 2027 budgets by April.
The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors will discuss that budget on their 4:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting at the downtown county courthouse, while the Sioux City School Board will next discuss their budget on Monday, March 9.
