Library funding update

The Orange County  budget recommendation  for FY 2026-2027 includes a plan to phase out total funding of $621,323 for Chapel Hill Public Library, 72% of the library's operating budget of $865,000.  (The cut is 14.5% of the library's total budget of $4.2 million that includes personnel expense of $3.4 million.)  The budget was amended on June 4 to extend the timing of the phaseout from two to three years with a  funding reduction of $209,071 in FY 2026-2027. Approval is expected on June 16.

Since the budget must be adopted annually, there is still time for the Commissioners to adjust course before next year's budget based on various factors, including the feedback they receive from their constituents. In the meantime, the library will be determining how best to address the funding shortfall in FY 2026-2027.

We continue to believe that county funding for library services should include the Chapel Hill Public Library since 40% of Orange County taxpayers reside in Chapel Hill and another 15,000 county residents are active users. It's also common practice for counties to support municipal libraries in NC and elsewhere for good reasons:

• • The municipality provides library services to a significant portion of the county, alleviating the county funding burden.

  • The county wants all residents to have a library card at the municipal library without paying an out-of-area fee.