Baldwin Library Board adopts new budget

The Birmingham Baldwin Library Board on Monday, March 16, adopted its budget for the 2026-2027 period and set an operating millage of 1.2665 mills, essentially the same tax as the current year.

Overall, the budget for the coming period will be $6.2 million, 79 percent of which is funded by local property taxes and 18 percent coming from three neighboring communities that contract with the library for services – Bloomfield Hills, Beverly Hills and Bingham Farms.

Contract communities are paying 2.8 percent more in the new budget plan, per agreements with the Baldwin Public Library. Total revenue from the contract communities will be $1.176 million in this budget.

Revenue in the form of state aid and penal fines are expected to remain about the same as the current budget.

On the expense side, the library is adding some staffing and wage increases are planned, in part to cover increases in the state minimum wage. The budget plan also provides for an employee tuition reimbursement plan, added parking costs for anticipated possible city increases at parking structures and some building improvement.

Yet to be resolved is an agreement with the city for administrative services provided to the library, an issue that has been under discussion for the past several months.

Library Director Rebekah Craft, who made the presentation of the new budget to the board, noted that the library policy is to maintain a fund balance equal to 25-35 percent of the budget to cover emergencies that may arise and the new budget meets the library board policy.

The vote for the proposed budget was unanimous, with trustee Frank Pisano absent from the meeting.