By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Heading into the summer months, the City of Great Bend is focusing on the municipal budget for 2025. The city council heard from three outside agency requests Monday night, the three agencies asking for increased budgets from last year.
After receiving $650,000 in this year’s budget, the Great Bend Public Library is asking for an additional $50,000 from the city for the library’s 2025 budget. Library Director Maribeth Shafer said the library has been in survival mode for the past few years and their budget can only be stretched so far.
"I understand the goals for the city, but I also understand the library has made cuts so we can get everything we need, but unfortunately the costs are going up," said Shafer. "I know the city has a hard job in front of you to find that working budget for the city. But, I'm charged by my board to come to you with what we feel we need to run a good service for the community."
In 2023, the library was open 2,600 hours, had 5,618 registered card holders and 69,348 people walk through their doors.
The profit and loss statement provided by the library, showed a nearly $41,000 loss in 2023. The library has gone from 19 staff members in 2022 to currently 11.5 employees. The library has also reduced hours as a cost cutting measure, now no longer open on Sundays or after 6 p.m. on other evenings.
Councilmember Jolene Biggs said keeping the city’s Revenue Neutral Rate flat, which was set at 45.202 mills in 2024, does not provide much allowance for budget increases.
"The city and the county did a revenue neutral on their budget, and we would like to do that again this year," said Biggs. "As much as your organizations are very effective and doing wonderful things, we're not gaining additional funds so it makes it difficult then to increase those budgets that you're asking for."
Along with the library, the Golden Belt Humane Society and Great Bend Senior Center also requested increases.