COUNC

Mayor and Council January 9th, 1976
JAN 12 1976

Alderman John Keryluk

Re: Our share of Capital and Operating
F.V.R.L. Budget — 1976

Richmond's pulling out of the Fraser Valley Regional Library system
last November 15th disrupted budget planning and the Board did not adopt the
Provisional Budget until January 7th, 1976.

A provisional operating budget submitted to the Board on November 26th
showed proposed expenditures in the amount of $2,836,260. he budget submitted for
your consideration today is in the amount of $1,916,223. or a cut of 32%. The end
result is obvious, each municipality will be paying less than originally proposed

for less service.
Two major items in the budget are salaries and book costs. To save on

salaries the hours of operation of branch libraries will be cut 25%. In our
situation we will cut 15.5 hours of operation from 62 to 46.5. The book budget
for the system has been cut from the November proposal of $650,000. to $292,676.
or a cut of 55%. You will notice that last year's book budget was $540,000.

In spite of these drastic cuts, and I say drastic because the overall
1976 budget is a mere $15,697. over the 1975 Budget or .82%, Port Coquitlam's
assessment is up to $86,182. from last year's $68,972. or roughly 25%.

Attached for your consideration also is our share of a Headquarters
building in Abbotsford. The only figures availabie to date are for a 22,000
square foot building estimated at $1,096,500., or a cost of approximately
$45.00 per square foot. Port Coquitlam's share of capital cost on this basis
would be $20,926. I would recommend that Council accept its share of capital
cost "in principle" only. I want Council to know that with Richmond pulling out,
the FVRL Board feels that perhaps 18,000 square feet will do. Also, the architect
has been instructed to change the design from a two-storey to a single storey
as this would cut out stairways and an elevator and reduce costs to somewhere

between $35.00 and $39.00 per square foot.

/ba
attachment.