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Library cuts could go beyond Marshall

Marshall City Council discusses 2027 library funding

By Deb Gau 4 min read

MARSHALL -- If Lyon County makes cuts in funding for the Marshall-Lyon County Library, the impact could be felt not just in Marshall, but at library locations in Cottonwood and Balaton, Library Director Michele Leininger said this week.

"Unfortunately this time, with this large a cut, Marshall can't absorb all of that alone. We will have to look at the branches as well," she told Marshall City Council members.

Leininger said the library is anticipating a reduction of about $134,288 in revenue next year, as Lyon County works to reduce its 2027 levy.

A discussion of library funding was part of this week's city council meeting. While the council didn't take action on the issue Tuesday, Mayor Bob Byrnes said the city wanted to be transparent about it.

"We have a long-standing relationship with Lyon County," Byrnes said.

As part of that relationship, the city of Marshall and Lyon County have each contributed annual funding to MLCL, which includes the Marshall library location as well as branches in Cottonwood and Balaton.

"This year in particular for the county . . . they are facing some major budget challenges, and it has caused them to look at ways to reduce expenditures from the county budget and levy," said Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson. She said Minnesota counties are "highly dependent" on the state Legislature for their operations and funding.

"There are a lot of unfunded mandates that have been pushed down to them," said council member Craig Schafer.

This year, Byrnes said, Lyon County Commissioners and the county administrator indicated that "They would be looking at a fairly sizable reduction in what their (funding) contribution would be."

The county funding contribution would still be above the level of a state-required minimum maintenance of effort established in 2011, he said. "But it would be a substantial reduction in the total (library) budget."

The library’s 2027 draft budget includes a request for $880,576 in funding from the city and $440,288 from the county. Leininger said the library was now facing about $134,288 less funding than requested.

Leininger said the library has already instituted some cutbacks, like shorter hours of operation at the Marshall building during the summer. About five years ago, MLCL also reduced about 35 staff hours.

"We are pretty well cut to the bone, given the hours that we're open," she said.

So far, the cuts in hours have been absorbed by the Marshall library location. Leininger said that the Cottonwood and Balaton libraries each need to be open 20 hours a week to meet the federal definition of public libraries. If hours were reduced further, the branches would risk losing federal E-Rate program funding that helps pay for their internet service and connectivity.

"We don't lightly look at the branches or Marshall and cutting hours," she said. "However, this kind of cut and being so close to the bone, our operating budget is not that large."

The majority of the MLCL operating budget is staffing costs, Leininger said. The Library Board will need to look at making those cuts, but doing so could mean fewer evening hours, and fewer staff members available to help assist patrons or to help provide outreach services to child care providers, Leininger said.

Cottonwood City Administrator Teather Bliss said she appreciated Marshall letting Cottonwood and Balaton know more about the situation. Cuts in library funding could also impact her own community.

"It's unfortunate that it's September and Cottonwood is dealing with this, because you know, $40,000 with the county is a lot less of a burden on their tax base than it is in Cottonwood," Bliss said. She said $40,000 was the amount she was trying to work with in the Cottonwood city budget for the library branch there.

Bliss said she would like for Cottonwood, Marshall and Balaton to work together on how to move forward.

Marshall Council members also voiced support for maintaining the city's planned level of library funding.

"It's a tough situation. I have sympathy and empathy for the county board and the position they're in," Schafer said. However, Schafer said that he did not think the city of Marshall should follow the county's lead and reduce its own library funding contribution for 2027.

"I am fully in favor of us holding the course on what we do," he said. "I don't support the city doing anything at all in reductions."

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