Over the last 11 years, one critical county resource has seen its budget stagnate: Onondaga County Public Libraries.
The library budget has increased about 2% since 2013, far less than the overall budget’s 20% growth.
Some Onondaga County legislators believe the county’s library system is underfunded. During county budget discussions this year, other critical issues — like housing and economic development — came to the forefront. However, community members and legislators who often use the county and city libraries say they’re key resources that need attention and improvement.
“It’s just important that we fund the libraries because the library’s become a focal point for all of us,” said Onondaga County Legislator Charles Garland. “… It’s very important to make sure that the library is accessible.”
Garland, who represents the 16th district, a district within the city of Syracuse, said libraries are critical to bridge the digital divide. Families who can’t afford computers, laptops and tablets can use them at the library, he said.
Yet, multiple library officials contend they’re happy with the funding they’ll receive under next year’s budget.
The budget’s stagnation isn’t an indication of the budget’s health, said Dawn Marmor, the executive director for the library system. Marmor answered questions for this story through a spokesman for the county executive.
“Like any well-crafted, flexible budget, over the last decade, we have had opportunities to adjust our resources in order to respond to community trends, with an eye toward thoughtfulness and responsibility, so that what we are asking for fits our needs,” Marmor said.
‘You can see the investment walking in the door’
But several community members and legislators said that the city’s libraries could benefit from upgrades and investment from the county.
Jackie LaSonde, a community advocate in Syracuse’s South Side, visits Beauchamp Branch Library multiple times each week, but she also makes a point to visit other libraries in the city and suburbs. LaSonde said there are visible disparities between Beauchamp and other libraries.
“Because surely in the suburbs, when I tell you, they have a great arts program, they have a great jazz program. You can see the investment walking in the door, you could just see it,” LaSonde said.
LaSonde believes a lack of parking at Beauchamp discourages people from using the library, and she said she often has to bring her own fan in the summer because the library is too hot.
Joyce Suslovic, a former Syracuse City School District teacher, often tutored students at White Branch Library in Syracuse’s North Side. She watched others make resumes and fill out job applications.
Suslovic and LaSonde noted the lack of space, particularly at White Branch and Beauchamp libraries.
“If you go out to the one in Manlius, or Fayetteville, the Fayetteville library, I mean, they have huge spaces for meeting rooms, and all this kind of stuff,” said Onondaga County Legislator Mary Kuhn, “That is not at all available in White Branch library, for example, or Beauchamp library, and Petit needs it as well.”
‘I don’t think it’s fair to treat the libraries in the city as second-class tier’
The 2024 budget — initially proposed by McMahon and approved Tuesday by the Onondaga County Legislature — included $15.5 million for the library, about $1 million more than in 2023 and about $3 million more than in 2021.
However, the increase in funding has only gotten the department back to just above its pre-Covid funding levels.
When Central Current asked McMahon’s office about the county’s stagnating library spending, a spokesman said, “With respect to their budget … the legislature determines funding for all county departments and the library is no exception.”
The $15.5 million largely pays for library administration, the Central Library, eight city branches and two satellite locations. About $12.4 million of that money goes to the libraries in the city, including the Central Library. Half of that money actually comes from the City of Syracuse, which pays the county $6.2 million for the operation of the city branches of the library.
That means the county and city spend $85.97 per city resident on library branches within the city.
All of the other 21 library branches in the county’s system are funded through local municipal budgets and local tax levies. The Fayetteville Free Library and Manlius Library will receive $3.4 million of their $3.6 million budget from local tax levies.
In the Fayetteville-Manlius School District, about $133.44 is spent per resident — about 55% more than in the city.
Kuhn and Kinne said the lack of library funding is an equity issue.
“I don’t think the county’s fulfilling their obligations. And it’s no secret that suburban libraries can get extra money, so to speak, from their constituents because they’re wealthy. And I’m not against that. That’s their right to do that,” Kinne said. “But I don’t think it’s fair to treat the libraries in the city as second-class tier. And they can say they don’t, but I think it’s painfully obvious that they do.”
‘They’re more than capable of reaching out’
Many legislators said they were unaware of the stagnant funding.
“The squeaky wheel gets the grease, unfortunately that’s how it is,” Garland said. “With budgeting and things like that, you have to bring it to people’s attention, you have to bang your own drum.”
Kinne initially planned to bring forward a budget amendment to increase library funding, he said.
Ultimately, however, Kinne decided to prioritize other budget items. Democrats in the legislature brought forward amendments to:
- Address lead in homes
- Pay for lawyers at Hiscock Legal Aid
- Increase capacity for the Onondaga County Board of Elections
Along a nearly party line vote, the legislature vetoed all of those amendments Tuesday.
Several legislators echoed Garland’s sentiment, including Onondaga County Legislature Chairman Jim Rowley and Legislator Tim Burtis, both Republicans. Rowley and Burtis said unless library administration tells legislators or the county executive it needs more money, it’s assumed they don’t.
“They have an independent board,” Rowley said. “They’re more than capable of reaching out to legislators. We make the assumption that everything is copacetic, and we certainly made that determination this year.”
“I believe that the funding that we’ve proposed to give to them, they’re happy with,” Burtis said.
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