Springfield council approves 2027 budget, including library cuts

Springfield councilors adopted the city’s fiscal year 2027 spending plan at its Monday, June 15, meeting. 

Councilors unanimously approved the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, following a public hearing during which no community members spoke. However, Councilor Jill Cuadros acknowledged prior community comments regarding library reductions.

“I felt like it was clear from both the volume and consistency of the public testimony that our library represents an important part of Springfield’s identity,” the Ward 4 councilor said. “While I support this budget, I would like us to revisit the library discussion in the fall. I believe the reductions made in this budget were necessary, but I also believe that public response highlighted an opportunity for us to better understand what services the broader community values most.”

Cuadros said she would like for the council to use data and community input to identify core priorities and ensure available dollars are aligned with them. 

The 2027 budget decreases library staffing by 2.4 positions. Due to the staffing cuts, the library will trim programming and close Mondays, according to the budget. Library Director Emily David announced Tuesday, June 16, that the library would be open Tuesday through Saturday starting July 6. 

“This schedule change is one part of the City’s broader effort to align services with available resources while continuing to provide important library services, programs and resources for the community,” David wrote in an email to community partners announcing the changing hours.

Over the past year, community members have spoken out against a proposed $500,000 library budget cut suggested by a fiscal stability task force, which came up with recommendations for how the city could address a growing deficit in its general fund. The FY 2027 budget includes a $310,000 reduction to the library, Finance Director Nathan Bell said during a Springfield Budget Committee meeting last month. 

He said the city’s financial structural imbalance is largely due to Measures 5 and 50, which passed in the 1990s and capped property taxes. Those taxes make up the majority of the general fund’s revenue. Bell said the city is using $450,000 in reserves to balance the 2027 budget. 

The budget committee reviewed the city manager’s proposed budget and approved it without adjustments. 

The fiscal stability task force also recommended the city implement a payroll tax, which the City Council unanimously approved earlier this month following months of discussion. Staff anticipate the tax, which will apply to both employees and employers working inside city limits, will go into effect in 2027.