The governing board of the Alachua County Library District (ACLD) unanimously approved a budget and millage rate for the 2024-25 fiscal year at a public hearing on Wednesday. 

The ACLD millage rate for FY25 will be 1.0, which is a 3.76% increase over the 0.9638 rollback rate, which would produce the same amount of money as last year’s 1.0339 rate. 

The library district has decreased its millage from 1.3638 to 1.0 over the past 10 years, according to meeting documents. 

The library district is almost entirely dependent on its property tax revenues for both operating and capital expenses, though it expects to receive about $257,109 in state aid this year to help purchase library materials. That number is $43,054 less than received last year, and about $160,000 less than in 2014. 

ACLD’s general fund expenditure budget for FY25 is $26,504,622, with a 5% expenditure reserve and a 45-day ending cash balance reserve in the operating budget. 

The budget includes $15,131,198 for personal services and $6,924,653 in operating expenses, $1,102,793 in capital outlay non-operating expenses and $3,345,978 in transfers out for capital projects. 

ACLD no longer levies a millage to fund its long-range capital development plan, so the budget is revised to reflect available revenues, and some construction projects have been deferred to sustain the current service level and construct and operate any new and expanded facilities. 

With a hurricane on its way and little to discuss, the meeting was over quickly, though all governing board members except Reina Saco were present. Saco and board member Cynthia Chestnut were both absent for the budget’s first hearing on Sept. 12 because they are both members of the Gainesville City Commission, which held its first public hearing on tentative millage rates the same day.