The Hammond Public Library Board of Trustees seeks community input as it considers closures of both its E. B. Hayward and Howard branches as of November 1, 2011. Public input will be welcome during the Library Board meeting on September 27, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Main Library, 564 State St., Hammond.

 Reductions in spending have been implemented for the past several years in anticipation of declining property tax revenues. Property taxes are the Library's largest source of operating revenues. Three factors have impacted library revenue:

• Reductions in collections due to Circuit Breaker legislation, which was voter-mandated.
• Due to the instability of the economy, homeowners have found it increasingly difficult to pay their property taxes, thus the percentage of uncollected taxes increased.
• Because Lake County has not adopted a local option income tax, state legislators have imposed a levy freeze on Lake County's taxing units.

The library's advertised budget for 2012 is $4,804,717. Property taxes account for about 93% of the total revenue,
or $3,514,095. As the full impact of declining property tax revenues became apparent later in 2010, the need to hold down spending became more urgent as the Circuit Breaker's caps expanded and began to cut deeper into operating funds. The Indiana Legislative Services Agency originally estimated that the library would lose $511,075 due to the Circuit Breaker cap. However, at the end of July 2011, we were given a new, much higher estimated loss of $801,055. Revenue lost due to Circuit Breaker caps and to uncollectable taxes will total $1,207,565 in 2012, or about 33% of total library operating revenues. This trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. 

 Steps already taken to hold down spending:
 For the past several years, the Hammond Public Library Board has taken steps to hold down spending. They include:

• Through attrition, leaving several full time key positions, as well as many part time positions, vacant
• Freezing staff pay
• Reducing spending on supplies, subscriptions, and other library materials
• Cutting spending in other areas of the budget. 

Possible additional reductions:

Because library operating revenues are likely to continue to drop in 2012, the Library Board must now consider taking even more steps to reduce spending:

• Continue to cut personnel costs through future attrition, when possible. Personnel costs represent the largest percentage of all operating costs.
• Continue to reduce spending, where possible, on library materials.
• Continue to look for ways to save on employee benefit costs.
• Continue to seek ways to reduce other areas of the operating budget.                          

For more information, contact René L. Greenleaf, Hammond Public Library Director at (219) 931-5100, or by e-mail to director@hammond.lib.in.us 

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CHANGES IN FINES, effective Sept. 1
(overdues per item, per day)

• 25 cents (includes books, magazines, compact discs
  and audio materials). Maximum: $10.00
• $1.00 (video cassettes, DVDs, Bi-Fokal Kits).
  Maximum: $10.00
• $15.00 (reference material overnight loan)
  Maximum: $45.00

Also, senior residents now will incur fines for overdue items.