“We’re being very mindful of our spending right now,” Trzeciak said. “We are hopeful that we will be able to put $3.9 million back into reserves to plan for when there will be less funding coming from the state.”
The budget proposal, which is now before the Ohio Senate, would change how Ohio’s Public Library Fund is funded. Instead of automatically setting aside a percentage of the state’s general fund revenue every year, it would be given a specific dollar amount.
For fiscal year 2026, the bill outlines an appropriation of $490 million, with $500 million appropriated for fiscal year 2027. This amounts to flat or slightly increased funding for Ohio’s public libraries.
The Public Library Fund currently receives 1.7% of Ohio’s general revenue fund, which is powered by sales and personal income taxes and other revenue sources. This fund comprises nearly 50% of all Dayton Metro Library operations.
Library leaders across the state fear that by making it an appropriation instead of guaranteed percentage, library funding would be less assured and left to the political whim of the General Assembly every two-year budget cycle.
“The House budget keeps up pretty flat, keeps us pretty steady,” Trzeciak said. “But, that makes the library budget a line-item, which could be easily changed at a later date. And quite quickly changed, including eliminated.”
The Public Library Fund has been the channel for state library funding for 100 years.
The Ohio House’s two-year funding proposal falls $90.8 million short of the estimated totals libraries would receive under Gov. Mike DeWine’s original budget plan, which would have seen the expansion of the Public Library Fund to 1.75% of the state general fund.
Dayton Metro Library is also funded through a recently passed one-mill, five-year property tax levy that will generate $10.5 million per year.
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