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Asset district adopts slimmer budget
Friday, November 30, 2001 By Michael A. Fuoco, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Members of the board of the Allegheny Regional Asset District approved a $74.7 million budget last night that is $387,500 higher than the preliminary budget unveiled Oct. 1 but still less than this year's $75.6 million spending plan.
The economic downturn was cited as the reason the board, for the second time in the asset district's seven-year history, proposed spending less than in the preceding year. It provides funds to public libraries, museums, cultural entities, arts organizations, parks and sports facilities.
The plan will be financed with $71.5 million in proceeds from the 1 percent county sales tax, reserve funds of $2.8 million and interest earnings of $400,000. The RAD board distributes half of the revenue from the 1 percent tax; half goes directly to county and municipal governments.
The RAD board previously had estimated revenues from the sales tax would be $72.5 million, but that number was cut by $1 million in the final version because of the sluggish economy.
Because of that drop, some $2.8 million of RAD's $20 million reserve fund will be utilized. The preliminary plan called for about $1.23 million to come from reserves.
The major change in expenditures from the preliminary plan was the addition of a $400,000 grant to continue operation of the county's four bookmobiles, which serve residents in remote areas. The Allegheny County Library Association is working with the county to raise an additional $375,000 to run the program.
No money was included for bookmobiles in the RAD preliminary budget despite the library association's request for $825,000 after county officials said their budget could not handle the program any longer. The $400,000 RAD grant was seen as a compromise to keep the program running.
The bookmobile funding is in addition to the $575,000 increase in library support that already was included in the budget.
The budget adoption concluded a five-month process during which 114 applications were reviewed and public hearings were held.
As in past years, the biggest spending will be for libraries and parks: $15.6 million for Carnegie Library, $13.5 million for nine large county parks, $7.4 million for suburban libraries in the county library association, $4.25 million for four large city parks, $2.5 million for Carnegie Museums and $1.88 million for Phipps Conservatory. Another $13.4 million is earmarked for the Sports & Exhibition and Stadium authorities.
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