Committee member proposes formula to guarantee annual increases for Sawyer County libraries

A committee member identified only as Mike proposed that Sawyer County adopt a formula to guarantee annual funding increases for county-supported libraries, saying it would remove some of the emotion from budget decisions and give libraries predictability.

Public commenter Linda Zilmer, who identified herself as an Edgewater property owner and a Hayward and Rice Lake library user, told the board that "for Sawyer County, our libraries are that third place," arguing libraries connect people and contribute community benefits.

Mike said he supports libraries but prefers a data-driven approach. He proposed a mechanism that would award libraries an annual increase equal to the greater of a percentage tied to their circulation or a cost-of-living adjustment. "One of my life tenants is data-driven decision making," he said.

Board members and committee participants reacted positively. Stacy Hessle said the proposal "takes the emotion out of it," and Jim Miller said predictability would make it easier for libraries to plan and for the county to budget. Committee members agreed the item should be developed further and presented to both the Finance Committee and the Economic Development Committee for specific dollar figures and budgeting details.

The committee did not vote on or adopt a resolution at the meeting. Members said they expect a draft or proposal to return for committee review and noted the item is slated as "possible action" in July, at which point Finance would weigh in on the exact cost and implementation details.

Next steps: staff or the sponsoring member will prepare a more detailed proposal with estimated dollar impacts for presentation to the Finance and Economic Development committees ahead of the July meeting.