Library debacle

Councilman Phil Bonus thinks the city should shut down the Maitland Public Library, a facility he says is "outdated" and a "poor value" to the city.

The day before the city's July 19 budget workshop, Bonus sent a letter to the Maitland City Council detailing some budget recommendations, among them was a call to "wind down" the Maitland Public Library within two years.

Bonus did not return calls seeking comment.

The Library gets about $700,000 in funding from the city each year. It cut its budget by 10 percent for 2011. Despite funding decreases over the last few years, patronage and circulation both increased by 9 percent in 2009.

"Despite adequate market indicators, I believe the Library is lethargic," Bonus wrote in the letter dated July 16, "and has failed to sufficiently adapt to modern trends." In addition to closing it completely, he also suggests a downsizing and/or a merger with the Maitland Civic Center.

Bonus makes other recommendations in the letter, including scaling down the fire station and city hall projects and reducing the city's contributions to the Maitland Art and History Association and the Performing Arts of Maitland. He intended his letter to be read into the record at Monday's budget meeting, which he was unable to attend.

The City Council decided not to read the letter at the meeting, with Mayor Doug Kinson calling Bonus' request inappropriate. The letter will be discussed at its Monday, July 26 meeting, with Bonus in attendance.

On Tuesday, Kinson said that Bonus should have brought up his recommendations at a previous budget meeting held on July 12. "Why did he submit a letter … and at a point when he wasn't going to be around?" Kinson said.

William L. Whitacre, the president and attorney for the Maitland Public Library, called Bonus' request "inappropriate, ill advised and improper" in a letter responding to Bonus' letter dated July 19. He asked the letter not to be read at the meeting, and said if Bonus really wants to pursue closing the Library, he should put it on a Council agenda.

"The procedure utilized by Mr. Bonus is not only incorrect," he writes, "I consider it morally wrong in that it amounts to a sneak attack on the Library much like Pearl Harbor."

Library century old

Whitacre said that 40 percent of Maitland citizens have Maitland Library cards.

"If you're out there talking to the citizens, you know how important the Library is to most all," Councilwoman Linda Frosch said on Tuesday. She also said Bonus' actions were inappropriate.

The Library is currently applying to get historical building status.

Proposing to close the Library, Kinson said, is an "all or nothing proposal that does not take into consideration the impacts on families and the community."

The budget

Maitland City Council began its July 19 meeting with a $1.4 million dollar shortfall and by the end of the night, the city's departments had made up for all but about $133,000, which will be covered by the general fund.

The city's 2011 property tax rate, or millage, will stay the same as 2010.

Each city department cut their budgets by 18 percent or more. They did this for the most part by freezing nine additional unfilled positions — now there are a total of 23 frozen positions. Other positions have been consolidated into existing ones.

"We didn't cut any of our programs," Kinson said. "We're doing the same thing with much fewer people."

The only department that requested an increase was the Police Department — and it was 1.01 percent.

Councilman Howard Schieferdecker said that had Bonus been at Monday's meeting, he might have rethought his recommendations.

"If he had been there, he would have been encouraged," Schieferdecker said. "None of us realized what staff did to get lean and mean with the budget."