Library system feels pinch as city limits funding pledge
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Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl takes a question about the amount of money which will be provided to fund the Carnegie Library system during a news conference called on Tuesday.
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The city of Pittsburgh has no plans to give the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh more than $600,000 this year, and that news could blow a hole of around the same size in the system's $24.2 million budget.
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's confirmation Tuesday that the city plans to make one $600,000 grant -- rather than two -- to the library system does not, however, imminently threaten branches.
A library spokeswoman said administrators still pledge to shelve, for this year, a plan to close four branches, merge two and move another due to budget problems.
"At this point, there's no [second grant of] $600,000 that's going to be coming from the city," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "Could we take a look at additional funding sources? Perhaps."
Mr. Ravenstahl clarified his view of the city's commitment after days of confusion about what the city planned to give as a stopgap solution while the libraries hunt for a lasting fiscal fix.
Last year, Council President Doug Shields proposed two $600,000 payments to the library system -- one backed by unspent money from a city fund used for buying fuel, and the other from the city capital budget. Mr. Ravenstahl agreed to the fuel transfer and proposed giving the libraries $1 million from a tuition tax.
Though the tuition tax failed, the $1 million grant remained in the budget, until Finance Director Scott Kunka removed it in January, saying it was an error.
Council members said last week that the change shouldn't have been made without their approval. But on Monday, library board chairwoman Jacqui Fiske Lazo wrote to Mr. Ravenstahl confirming that she had assumed that the $1 million was withdrawn when the tuition tax tanked.
The Carnegie Library's budget for this year counts on $1.24 million from the city -- $600,000 from the fuel fund, $600,000 from the capital budget, and $40,000 the city has traditionally given since the Regional Asset District assumed most of the responsibility for funding the system.
First Published May 12, 2010 12:00 am
