During the lengthy budgeting process on Monday morning, the Marshall County Council members reviewed the Bremen Public Library budget that would include funding for library renovations.
Library Director Chris Scandling explained the library board is attempting to finalize plans for a renovation project at the facility. Scandling noted that the facility has not seen improvements since 1993 and the board members are looking to remodel the interior of the library to update functionality of the space, an expansion of the building, and parking lot improvements.
Todd Samuelson, a partner with Baker Tilly, explained to the Marshall County Council that the library board continues to work with architects to complete plans and needs to remove a $250,000 debt service line item from the 2021 budget. The project will require the sale of bonds. Since the process is still in the design phase, bonds will not be sold until 2021 so the amended debt service figure will need to be reflected in the next budget.
The county council agreed to table a bond resolution and remove that debt service amount from that budget.
The county council also reviewed a budget submitted by the newly formed East Shore Conservancy District in the Culver area. The district is new and has no elected officials of the board so the budget is the responsibility of the county council, until officials are elected.
The total budget is $305,747 which includes a special benefits tax levy, or assessment rate of parcels within the district, which is about $181,000 which is included in the budget. The special benefits tax will not be in existence throughout the life of the conservancy district.
The council did not have any further comments on those budgets.
The county budget adoption is set for October 12.
