Carlsbad Library Board concurs with city FY 2026–27 budget, backs modest increase for community arts grants

The Carlsbad Library Board of Trustees on May 27 voted to approve a letter of concurrence with the city’s preliminary fiscal year 2026–27 library budget submission.

Senior Management Analyst Fiona Everett presented the budget overview, saying the library’s maintenance and operations base will be $2,937,022 and that personnel counts will remain at 51 full‑time positions and 55.5 part‑time equivalents. "We are not requesting any additional personnel in the new fiscal year," Everett said, adding that negotiated wage increases averaging about 4% are already incorporated into the submitted numbers.

Everett told trustees the only new operations request is $11,713 to increase ongoing community arts grants funding by 10% to address rising demand; the total community arts grants budget is about $128,000. She said the request received preliminary support during the City Council presentation and at a community budget workshop.

Trustee Bridal moved and Trustee Lawford seconded a motion to approve the board’s letter of concurrence; the chair directed the minutes clerk to start the vote and announced the unedited letter of concurrence was approved (no roll‑call tally was read into the record). The board’s concurrence will be transmitted to City Council ahead of the council’s scheduled budget adoption on June 16.

Board members asked questions about how the budget accounts for negotiated raises and interdepartmental chargebacks (IT, liability, vehicle maintenance); Everett said those costs are accounted for and largely managed within the base budget.

What happens next: City Council is scheduled to adopt the FY 2026–27 city budget on June 16; the fiscal year begins July 1.