Shortfalls make free help more valuable

When Douglas County Public Library Director Linda Deacy put the word out in January she needed volunteers, 40 people stepped forward.

"Twenty-five of them work daily in the library," Deacy told county commissioners last week at a budget workshop. "I can't emphasize how much volunteers bring to our organization."

That was the theme as department heads shared their cost-cutting measures with the board in an attempt to make up for a $1.5 million 2009-10 anticipated budget shortfall.

Deacy and Community Services Director Scott Morgan told commissioners when times are tough, people take advantage of services close to home.

"It's not just an increase in the usage, but in the number of people who just don't know where to go for the next step," Deacy said.

On Wednesdays, a job counselor who specializes in placing military veterans will be at the library.

A human resource counselor is scheduled for three hours on Saturday to help with job resumes and other employment advice.

With demand up and resources down, residents are bound to notice some changes.

The library will save $25,000 a year by dropping out of a statewide consortium Douglas County helped create two decades ago. For patrons, it means looking for books in other libraries will take more time and training.

The library also cut public hours by 18 percent and reduced outreach to preschools, elementary schools and teens.

Cultural programs have been replaced with those targeted at job seekers.

"This has been agonizing and gut-wrenching," said Morgan, who had to trim $822,000 from his 2009-10 budget.

That means fewer employees and no more fertilizer and flowers for the parks.

"We were able to do it without a lot of anger because we made people a part of that process. They understand what we're going through. Some of those responsibilities have shifted over to the volunteers," he said.

Steve Thaler, director of China Spring Youth Camp and Aurora Pines for girls, said his budget was totally at the discretion of the state.

"They tell us how much money we get. My budget today will be my budget for next year," he said.

In public comment before the Tuesday budget hearing, about a dozen people stepped to the podium to thank commissioners for services provided through parks and recreation, the senior center and the library.

Esther Campbell said when she moved to the area 16 years ago, she was not a senior citizen.

"But I am now. We've got a great senior center. All too soon you will be senior citizens yourself," she reminded commissioners. "It helps to keep that in mind."