CLEVELAND — Cleveland Public Library is implementing millions of dollars worth of budget cuts as it faces a decrease in state funding and tax revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget cut plan includes “a hiring freeze, curtailing collections spending and utilizing the library’s unencumbered fund.”
Cleveland Public Library expects to reduce costs by $6 million under the budget cut plan.
In addition to the budget cuts, Cleveland Public Library submitted a SharedWork Ohio application to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. If approved, it would allow library employees to be employed with reduced hours while cutting costs for the library to make up for lost revenue and interruption to its operations, saving the library around $2.3 million and avoiding layoffs.
Cleveland Public Library, which closed on March 13 due to COVID-19 concerns, is funded by the state’s Public Library Fund (PLF) and city property taxes. The library is expecting at least a 20% reduction in the PLF and a 10% drop in property tax funds due to the pandemic.
“This is a difficult time for everyone. The decisions we make today will have a direct impact on the Library’s future. After much discussion with our staff and leadership, we believe SharedWork is the best option for us to avoid layoffs,” said Felton Thomas, Jr., Executive Director and CEO of Cleveland Public Library. “We continue to look for ways to save money without hurting operations at Cleveland Public Library. Our goal is to ensure the Library and staff will be here for our patrons who rely on us for programs and services.”
