Elwood library district budget on ballot

Higher retirement and employee health care costs, along with a drop in state aid, are driving the increases in the Elwood Public Library District's 2011-12 budget, which goes before voters Tuesday.

The library proposed a $1,584,072 budget, which is a 4.5-percent increase over last year's budget of $1,515,403.

The tax rate would increase from the current rate of $7.73 per $100 in assessed value to $8.11, a 4.9-percent increase. A home assessed at $4,000 would pay $324.40, an increase of $15 from last year's budget.

The proposed budget features a $67,763 increase in total salaries and benefits for the library's nearly two dozen employees. Library director Michael Squillante said the 7.8-percent increase was due to higher state retirement and health care costs, and added that raises will be relatively modest.

"Any kind of increases for everybody are going to be 2 percent or less," he said.

The budget includes no state aid or grants. Last year the district got $7,000 in state money.

Mary Jane Mackey, co-president of the Elwood Taxpayers Association, said she's heard rumblings from voters about the employee expenses.

"I would prefer they take a look at their staff and see who could be cut," she said. "I would like a zero-percent [increase] myself."

Fellow president Walter Rabe said he had "no problems" with the budget.

"They probably should bite the bullet like anybody else, but I think in the real scheme of things, we're worried about the school budget and not the library budget," he said.

The library has been operating since 2003, and last year had more than 190,000cq circulation transactions.The district has about 13,000 residents. The vote will be held Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the library (1929 Jericho Tpke.).