Delta council this week voted in favour of a recommendation for another membership increase for the city to be part of the Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL).
Delta’s portion of the library system’s proposed 2023 budget will increase by 3.21 per cent, representing an increase of $131,087. That brings the total cost for Delta next year to $4,214, 807.
The provision for the increased costs will be included in Delta's 2023 Financial Plan.
The FVRL system services more than 700,000 people through 25 community libraries, including branches in Ladner, Tsawwassen and North Delta.
A levy is charged to each member municipality to cover the operating costs of the library branches and the central administration service costs provided by the FVRL.
A staff report to council notes FVRL has implemented an accelerated budget for 2023 in order to complete the process in advance of the October 2022 municipal elections.
The most significant impact of the accelerated process is that the funding formula, which is used to calculate unique member assessment increases, is suspended for 2023. Instead, the same percentage rate increase will be applied to all members equally.
Council was told there would not be much difference either way from the latest rate increase.
It’s been a steady increase for Delta to be a member of the library system.
Back in 2018, for example, council voted in favour of Delta’s membership assessment in the FVRL going up 3.34 per cent, which worked out to an extra $123,645, bringing the city’s total annual membership charge at the time to just over $3.8 million.
In 2013, council approved a revised funding formula that slightly lowered annual increases. Delta’s share of the FVRL budget at that time had increased to $3.19 million.
