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Most local libraries will benefit from new funding formula
Four of the five local libraries that are members of the Allegheny County Library Association would benefit from a new formula that determines how much county sales tax money they receive.
Of 44 members in the Allegheny County Library Association, 21 would receive more money under a funding formula that more heavily weighs the population of communities the library serves and those the state deems "economically distressed," said Marilyn Jenkins, the group's executive director.
The other 23 libraries will get less if the Allegheny Regional Asset District approves the formula change later this year.
Locally, four libraries would receive between 15 percent and 77 percent more money. Only the Oakmont branch of the Carnegie Library would receive less 39 percent less.
The Regional Asset District board asked the library group to look at population and economic distress of communities and develop a formula for distributing money rather than having each member submit an application.
RAD supports parks, libraries, stadiums and cultural attractions with half of the additional 1 percent sales tax in Allegheny County. The district votes on the formula separately at the end of the year.
"The only two things the district has asked them to address they have addressed," said RAD Executive Director David Donahoe. "Whether these two areas have been sufficiently addressed to meet the district's concern, we'll see."
Suburban libraries wrangled over a formula for four years and approved the latest version this week by a 33-9 vote, with two abstentions.
The library association said it was designed so that there would be predictable funding from year to year, and to be as simple and as equitable as possible.
The old formula was based on population, economic distress, use of the library by residents and nonresidents, the number of hours the library is open and local funding.
This formula, if RAD approves, would not consider library hours or local funding. Stephanie Flom, executive director for Lauri Ann West Memorial Library, said she was pleased with the decision to change the formula for distributing revenue.
"We thought it was an excellent process with an excellent outcome."
Flom said a committee representing each of the 44 community libraries in the county streamlined the formula for handing out RAD Tax funds.
What was a complicated formula now takes into account four criteria: population, circulation, community distress and a base allotment for each library.
Lauri Ann West will receive 15 percent more RAD money next year, although Flom said her library still falls in the middle of the pack in terms of how much RAD revenue it receives.
Lauri Ann West has branches in O'Hara and Sharpsburg.
"We thought it was wise to use the tax money this way," Flom said.
As for how Lauri Ann West officials will use the increased revenue, Flom said, "We'll look to use it to provide the best library services we can to our population." She said improving services could mean improving the collection of materials and available technology and adding staff.
Fourteen libraries that would lose money voted for the formula.
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