Library, city at odds over unspent money

MARENGO — The Marengo Police Department, the Marengo Public Library and the Marengo Cemetery will be allowed to carry over unspent money from this year’s budget, but what the library’s $9,089 in excess will be used for is still undecided.

The City Council approved carrying over $1,303 from the police department’s fiscal year 2024 budget to its 2025 budget for the purchase of equipment and carrying over $4,364 in unspent 2024 funds in the cemetery budget for a new cemetery management program.

The city’s finance committee recommended carrying over $9,089 in the library budget for building maintenance. The library has issues with humidity and with water leaking around some of the windows.

But Library Director Jackie Jordan said the library board wants to use the unspent money for books, technology upgrades (a Wi-Fi rebuild) and community outreach, possibly to nursing homes and day care facilities.

The finance committee thought the carryover should be used to fix the leaks around the windows.

If the library needed new technology it should have purchased it, said Marengo Mayor Adam Rabe.

Jordan said she didn’t realize the library would need to rebuild its technology.

“Why are we handcuffing Jackie,” asked City Councilman John Hinshaw.

When the police department had money left over, the council allowed Police Chief Ben Gray to buy a side-by-side, said Hinshaw. That’s not maintenance.

“We’re not playing by the same rules here,” said Hinshaw.

“We took the incentive out to be frugal,” said Councilman Travis Schlabach.

Gray agreed. “It doesn’t do me any good to save money if you aren’t going to grant a request,” Gray told the city council.

“I don’t want to criticize them for saving money on their budgets,” said Schlabach.

Financial Manager Ellen O’Rourke said maintenance expenses come out of each department’s budget. Unspent, budgeted money can be used for capital projects that aren’t in the department budget.

New windows or air conditioners and technology upgrades are capital expenditures, said O’Rourke. Fixing the air conditioning or resealing the existing windows are maintenance that each department pays for within its budget.

Capital expenses are not built into the budget, O’Rourke said.

Carryover money has been used for a new window and a new door at the police station, O’Rourke said.

Marck said the city has been refining the budgeting processes over the past several years. Salaries and operating expenses are in each department’s budget each year.

Then there is a pool of capital expenditures, said Marck. Everyone is supposed to have those in their five-year plans.

“We don’t have a five-year plan,” said Schlabach.

Marck and Mayor Adam Rabe argued that the city does have a five-year plan and is following it.

The city hasn’t defined operating costs for the library, said Jordan. Does the city not pay for books anymore? Does the city not care about community outreach. That’s the purpose of the library, said Jordan.

The job of the library board is to spend money as it sees fit, Jordan said.

“We’re trying to fix windows,” argued Rabe.

Marck said she’d make a list of things the city has used carryover money for in the past. “It hasn’t been for programming. I can tell you that,” she said.

The city allowed $20,000 to be used by the police department for a side-by-side, said Hinshaw.

What is the city’s responsibility? asked Marck. Does the city keep up the buildings or pay for programming?

Jordan said The Friends of Marengo Public Library pays for programming. It also pays for summer reading programs and rewards. The library can’t ask the city for that, Jordan said.

“When there is an unexpected expense, the city pays it, right?” asked Schlabach.

“We need to give them the money to run a library,” said Schlabach. Not just salaries and the building.

The council sets the amount of a department’s budget, said Councilman Bill Kreis. “After that, it’s their money. We don’t have control on that.”

“I don’t think … carrying over funds is a violation of that,” said City Attorney Gage Kensler.

The council approved the library carryover but with the stipulation that the use of the money be determined during the next meeting.

“I’m in favor of granting their request,” said Hinshaw.

Air conditioning

The city approved a bid of $6,431 from S & S Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning for a new air conditioning unit for the library.

This will be the second of eight we’ve replaced,” said Schlabach, owner of S & S.

The library has six residential and two commercial units. One was replaced earlier this year, said Schlabach. The others are more than 15 years old.

“You’re probably going to see this expense for the next four to five years,” Schlabach said.

The air conditioners have been running excessively to combat the library’s humidity problems, said Jordan.

The compressors wear out, said Schlabach. Parts were no longer available for the unit the city is replacing.