Full Funding of Budget Request Will Restore Hours at Spotsylvania Library Branches
The County Administrator has recommended full funding, supervisors have yet to approve. Stafford is recommending level funding of the library
By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
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The Salem and Snow branches of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library are poised to once again stay open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The library’s Board of Trustees voted last week to restore hours that have been cut at the two branches if Spotsylvania County fully funds its share of the library’s budget request—which County Administrator Ed Petrovitch has proposed to do.
Lori Hayes, one of Spotsylvania’s two representatives to the library board and a member of the county Board of Supervisors, asked for the vote at the March 10 quarterly meeting.
Petrovitch’s budget proposal recommends an increase of $564,798 for the library system, for a total of $4.9 million. It’s a 13% increase, which is more than the increase requested of the other member jurisdictions because Spotsylvania cut $200,000 from its contribution for the current fiscal year, according to the library’s budget.
Hayes said at the March 10 meeting that she “can’t say for sure” that supervisors will support Petrovitch’s recomendation of full funding for the library.
“This recent ask is pretty significant—half a million more,” she said. “My whole thing is, if I’m going to the board [and asking them to support this], I can let them know what it means for us.”
Rebecca Purdy, the library system’s executive director, said that when the branches reopened after COVID-19, none of them were able to open at their previous hours, which included weeknights and Sunday afternoons.
Hours were increased, though not to pre-COVID levels, in fiscal year 2021 at the Fredericksburg, Stafford, and Westmoreland county branches becuse these counties fully funded their budget requests, Purdy said.
Spotsylvania reduced its library funding, and the board in turn voted to reduce hours at the county branches. Currently, the Snow branch is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday thorugh Saturday. The Salem Church branch is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
If Spotsylvania supervisors approve the full recommended funding request of $4.9 million, both branches will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The library is requesting $979,986 in new money for its $14.3 million total budget for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1. The major budget drivers are 3.3% cost of living increase and a 2.5% merit increase for staff, to address salary compression and improve staff retention; a 7% increase in expected health insurance costs; a 10%, or $169,733, increase to the books and materials budget to reduce customer wait times; and “critical” management and accounting software upgrades.
Fredericksburg City Manager Tim Baroody’s budget recommends an increase of $50,000—slightly under the requested increase of $76,447—for a total of $1.62 million for the library.
Stafford County Administrator Bill Ashton recommends funding the library at the same level as the current fiscal year—not providing the requested increase of $300,323.
Stafford contributes the largest share of the library system’s funding and increased its support between fiscal years 2024 and 2025 from $5.5 million to $5.8 million.
Westmoreland’s county administrator has not yet presented a budget proposal.
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