Part-time Anne Arundel librarians may have their benefits cut, and county libraries could have less money for books and electronics, under proposed cuts in the fiscal 2009 budgets.
Anne Arundel Auditor Teresa Sutherland identified $1.9 million of potential cuts in the proposed $1.22 billion operating budget and about $6 million in the proposed $400 million capital budget.
“It?s a sign of how lean our budget really is,” said Councilman Josh Cohen, D-District 6.
Sutherland said $200,000 could be cut from the library system?s operating budget by reducing the health care benefits part-time employees receive.
Those employees get paid between $13,000 and $26,000 a year but receive on average $14,000 in health benefits. Sutherland is recommending the council consider prorated benefits for those employees.
“Part-time workers should get part-time benefits. … This is very frustrating because this is not the first time someone has made this recommendation,” said Council Chairwoman Cathy Vitale, R-District 5, who noted that part-time county employees do not get full benefits.
Marion Francis, the library system?s director, said the part-time positions are held by experts with bachelor?s degrees and the benefits help recruit workers for the evening and weekend hours.
“This has never been an issue in the past,” Francis said.
Sutherland also is recommending cutting $1 million from the library system?s materials account ? funded through the capital budget ? that pays for books and audiovisual equipment.
Sutherland said libraries typically spend less than $3 million a year from the account, yet the proposed budget had more than $4 million in the account.
“We do not need to suffer this kind of cut in our budget,” said Francis, who added that the purchases are made later in the year and are not properly reflected in the budget.
County budget officer John Hammond supported only one-third of Sutherland?s suggested cuts.
The council will decide today what cuts it will make in both budgets. By rule, the council only can cut from the budget and would need to work with County Executive John R. Leopold to increase funding in certain areas.
The council can add money to the school system?s budget without Leopold?s approval. Though council members would not say Monday where any extra money would go, the school system could be a potential recipient since the proposed $50 million cut in its operating budget has not been met favorably by county residents.
