The Park Ridge Public Library's nine-member board moved forward Tuesday with a $2,820,000 salary budget for fiscal year 2027, a spending plan that creates a new half-time position dedicated to bringing library services directly to seniors in assisted living facilities.
The salary budget was placed on the consent agenda for the board's Aug. 18 meeting at Park Ridge City Hall, a category of items approved by a single motion unless a trustee requests separate discussion. The library is expected to post full meeting minutes, including the roll-call vote, on or around Aug. 20.
The $155,600 in new spending breaks down three ways: $104,900 funds a 4% average merit raise pool for current staff, $19,500 covers one-time bonuses and pay-grade adjustments, and $31,200 pays for the new 24-hour-per-week Adult Services Outreach Coordinator.
The coordinator will visit senior living communities and retirement residences to connect residents who cannot easily travel to the library with its programs and collections. The position aligns with a goal in the library's strategic plan to "pursue partnerships to support seniors."
The raises matter. Library Director Joanna Bertucci told the board in an Aug. 7 memo that the salary plan aims to keep the library competitive in a tight labor market. Cook County's minimum wage rose from $15.00 to $15.40 per hour on July 1, compressing the gap between entry-level and experienced staff. Since August 2025, 17 employees have resigned, up from 14 the prior year, while 16 new hires came on board. The proposed full-time equivalent count for FY27 is 48, down one from the current year.
The 4% merit pool exceeds the library's seven-year average of 3.4% and the HR Source industry projection of 3.6%.
Salaries and benefits account for 70% of the library's proposed FY27 operating budget. The full budget and a proposed 2.7% property tax levy increase, as we reported Aug. 8, are expected to go before the Park Ridge City Council for final approval in December.
The board also heard a presentation of the library's FY25 financial audit from the firm Lauterbach and Amen. Specific findings were not immediately available.
Board President Theresa Renaldi presided over the meeting. The full board includes Vice President Danielle Powers, Secretary Josh Kiem, Treasurer Michael Donahue and trustees Anita DeFrank, Kevin Haggerty, Briana Jarnagin, Gregg Rusk and Deepika Thiagarajan.
Separately, the library is preparing for its Marketplace renovation, a reconfiguration of the adult collection into a browsable, display-forward layout, with construction running Aug. 30 through Sept. 20 and a public launch set for Sept. 21. The City Council's final vote on the library's FY27 budget and levy is expected in December.
