Des Moines leaders are responding to community concerns about possible cuts — including closures — to the city’s public library system in the aftermath of new state property tax-cutting legislation.
City leaders, including Des Moines City Manager Scott Sanders, tried to temper residents’ worries about losing Des Moines Public Library services and branches following budget discussions at a recent Des Moines Public Library Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, May 7.
City public library director Melissa McCollum is expected to give an update about the library and its services to Des Moines City Council members at a work session on May 18. At the same meeting, Sanders is anticipated to address impacts to the city budget for fiscal year 2028, which starts July 2027, McCollum wrote in a text message to the Des Moines Register.
In a Facebook post on May 11, Sanders assured residents the City Council would not be taking action on budget cuts at the upcoming work session or council meeting.
“The community’s support and passion are a strong reminder of the importance of civic engagement, and we greatly appreciate the perspectives you shared with us,” Sanders wrote in the post. “This same spirit has positively impacted the City’s budget for decades, with taxpayer dollars invested in public services that enhance Des Moines’ quality of life.”
The anticipated reductions are part of a slate of cuts expected to wallop the city budget in the 2028 fiscal year that will begin July 1, 2027. City leaders pointed fingers at a property tax reform bill approved by Iowa lawmakers last week, which includes a 2% growth cap on local governments’ general fund levies, with exceptions for new construction.
The city approved its 2027 fiscal year budget in early April, including an estimated $256 million general fund, which makes up the largest portion of its nearly $855 million operating budget. The Des Moines Public Library makes up about 4% of the city’s general fund, which pays for all of the city’s operations and departments.
In recent years, the city has relied on tools like the Local Option Sales and Service Tax to address budget issues, maintain service levels and stabilize the city’s property tax rate, Sanders wrote.
“We are at a crossroads where this flexibility no longer exists, and budget cuts must occur,” he wrote.
The Des Moines Public Library Board of Trustees held a meeting on May 7, where the members discussed the “potential nature of cuts,” board president Tim Hickman told the Des Moines Register on May 8.
Hickman said that the board was given a “very broad range” of what the cuts could look like before state lawmakers passed the final version of the bill, with a reduction of library hours on the low end of the range and a potential library closure on the high end. A presentation shown to the board, obtained by the Register, showed potential cuts to the library are projected to be 4% or greater.
“The board of trustees is very committed to avoid that outcome,” he said. “But we will need buy-in from City Council, we’ll need support from citizens because this is all about priorities.”
Hickman said it’s likely that every department in the city will have to take a share to solve the problem, “but I think what we’re interested in knowing is what percentage of the problem is going to be shifted onto the shoulders of the library, and we don’t know that yet.”
Hickman, who said libraries are an essential part of public safety in the community, encouraged all library supporters to show up to the work session on May 18.
In a Facebook post on May 8, Ward 1 Des Moines City Council member Rob Barron said he heard from multiple residents concerned over possible library closures.
If the Legislature’s latest reforms are as bad as they look, cuts to library services would have to be considered, Barron wrote, adding the public will have an opportunity to weigh in on the 2028 fiscal year budget and possible cuts when discussions start in June.
“I believe deeply in the importance of free public spaces like libraries and parks that bring people together to build community,” he wrote. “I will fight those cuts, but I also acknowledge that tough decisions lie ahead.”
Library leaders plan to highlight several ways community libraries “uplift individuals and strengthen neighborhoods throughout Des Moines” at the upcoming work session, McCollum told the Register in a text message statement on May 8.
“Now is the time for community members to start paying attention and share what they value most about living and working in this community,” McCollum wrote.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines libraries could see cuts as city faces budget shortfall
Reporting by Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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