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Midwestern

Budget Cuts Expected To Mean Reduced Library Hours In West Grey

The West Grey library will be forced to make cutbacks due to budget limitations.

The Library Board was hoping for an increase in their budget of 6.5% but council has amended the budget to limit the library increase to 2%.

CEO and Chief Librarian Kim Storz says that could mean a cut in eight hours of staff time, and reduced hours.

Ayton library hours would be reduced from 12 hours to ten hours a week, and Elmwood Resource Centre would have hours cuts from nine to four hours a week.

Council's Committee of the Whole agreed to use $5,000 in development charges to assist with the books budget.

With the library cuts, council expects the proposed 2018 West Grey tax levy increase to be less than 2.4%, or about $5 a year for the average homeowner.

Once education and county taxes are added in, the tax increase would come in at about 1%.

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