Efforts by the Sechelt Public Library board to secure extra funding were stymied by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) during the second round of budget talks, making it unlikely the library will succeed in closing a funding gap that has forced the library to reduce its hours.
SCRD directors denied a request to provide the Sechelt Public Library with funding to cover the cost of technology upgrades such as extra tablets, laptops and a copier, developing new collections and staffing. The request was initially made in the first round of budget talks, where it received lengthy debate. The total amount requested – $262,274 – is over and above an annual six per cent funding increase the library has been receiving through a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) between its funders – the District of Sechelt, the Sechelt Indian Government District (SIGD) and the SCRD. The SCRD said it would not cover its portion of that total.
The decision came a week after Sechelt council denied the library’s request for additional capital expenditures of $45,425, subject to the SCRD and SIGD agreeing to provide a grant proportional to their share of the 2018 Funding and Services Agreement.
“It’s difficult to support this without the main funding partner involved,” said Roberts Creek director Mark Lebbell. In response, Bruce Milne, Mayor of Sechelt and SCRD chair, said: “I don’t think we know what the main funding partner is doing on this.” He said Sechelt council was asked to consider the extra funding as an early item on the budget. “At the end of the day there was a tie vote among six councillors.” Since the item will be considered in the regular budgetary process, he said there is a chance the funding could go through, especially given that there was support for some of the capital spending requests. “If areas wanted to contribute a portion, that would be a signal to the District of Sechelt in their discussions, but we can’t do the reverse and say the District of Sechelt has signalled. We haven’t.”
Darren Inkster, director for the District of Sechelt, who was one of three Sechelt councillors who voted against the funding request, said his decision was a procedural one. “I think there was some concern with the three of us that it was in some ways jumping the queue,” since the funding request was made outside the normal budgetary process. He said he encouraged the directors to “make their own decisions and not worry about what we’re doing, because in the past we’ve done our own thing hoping they would join in. Things evolve.”
Area A director Frank Mauro was resistant to the funding request, since some items such as staffing are operational costs and fall within the MOU. “Most of these requests really needed to be in a funding agreement, such as we have in place right now.” He said the library should stick to the MOU and renegotiate when the current one expires. The MOU is in its final year.
Halfmoon Bay director Garry Nohr said the MOU is an improvement from before when the library “had to come in cap and hand” each year to try to get enough funds to operate. He said they are now “getting closer to what is reasonable,” but said the library is not adequately funded.
After the motion to provide the extra funding was defeated, Lebbell told the Sechelt library staff in attendance, “The vote is no reflection on the hopes for further work and further projects. Both libraries provide a fabulous service and that work is valued and incredibly appreciated in the community.”
