County Commissioners voted unanimously last night to approve an arrangement by which they will begin funding a portion of our local budget, beginning this July 1st. The county will incrementally increase their share of our funding over the course of the next five years until they fund 58% of our overall budget for the downtown branch and 100% of the Lake branch. City and county officials determined their funding percentages based on U.S. Census Bureau figures for the population of residents who live in the city and the county. Under the new arrangement, both the city and county must agree to approve any increases in library funding. I will be verifying today exactly which budget they are planning to fund for the next fiscal year (i.e. the one I *requested* or the one that's based on the same funding we've received for the past seven years).

I will continue to update all of you as more details become available to me.

Thanks to everyone who contacted their local officials on our behalf. I am convinced that without the support of all of you, this agreement never would have been reached so quickly! Again, thank you!!!!!!! And thanks to our local officials for coming together in agreement.