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St. Paul City Council Sides with Library
over Mayor in Budget Battle

On April 2, the St. Paul, Minnesota, city council approved an ordinance reorganizing the public library into an entity whose revenues are raised through a dedicated property tax instead of being supported through the city's general fund as approved by the mayor. “This is a spectacular change for the library,” council member Pat Harris said in the April 3 St. Paul Pioneer Press. “Ultimately, I think this is a great thing for the city.”

Four years in the making, the restructuring ensures the library a revenue stream, but does not increase its $12.5-million budget. The system change will cost some $4 million, to be drawn from a general-fund account, for the city to initiate. The ordinance also establishes the city council as SPPL's board, but retains library workers' city-employee status and Mayor Randy Kelly's authority to appoint the director.

The ordinance's passage was a refutation of the mayor's strong opposition to the change, which he expressed in a written statement read to the council a week earlier. After the session, mayoral spokesperson Laura Mortenson told the Press that Kelly “has made his position clear in the past,” signaling the possibility of a veto by mid-April. Should that occur, observers believe that the unanimous council backing of the reorganization assures an override.

 Posted April 7, 2003.

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