Hefty budget cuts could affect Broward County libraries, parks

Hefty budget cuts could affect Broward County libraries, parks

By Scott Wyman South Florida Sun-Sentinel

April 19, 2009

Don't expect to check out a book at your local library on Sundays or visit many of the regional parks on Wednesdays. And if you live in northern Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports, expect to drive farther to adopt a pet. Faced with having to reduce spending by up to $160 million because of the recession, county administrators are exploring severe cuts in community services. Seven smaller branches in the county's system of 37 libraries could be shut down, and the contract to help run the library at Nova Southeastern University in Davie canceled.

It could amount to the largest reduction in Broward government in modern history if county commissioners agree later this year. The closure of parks and libraries would come despite voters agreeing twice in the past decade to expand those programs. "Broward is a platinum county when it comes to services, but we won't be and may never be again," County Mayor Stacy Ritter said.

County commissioners will begin discussing the proposals Tuesday, but will not vote on a final spending plan until the end of September. Their financial forecasts call for the tax base to drop up to 15 percent this year, and the only way to avoid the spending cuts would be to raise the tax rates on homes and businesses.

Commissioners have not ruled out raising tax rates to make up for much of the lost revenue. But Ritter and other commissioners think such a move would be hotly debated and provoke public outrage.

The libraries that would be closed are the Beach Branch in Pompano Beach, the Hollywood Beach Library, the Riverland Library in Fort Lauderdale Is your Fort Lauderdale restaurant clean? - Click Here., the Pembroke Pines Library, the Galt Ocean Mile Library in Fort Lauderdale, the Century Plaza Library in Deerfield Beach and the Lauderhill Mall Library. Service at the branch library on Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale could be limited.

All libraries would be closed on Sundays, with hours at the 11 largest libraries cut to 48 hours a week from 58. Last year, operations at those libraries were cut from to 58 hours a week from 70.

Special programs organized for all libraries would be eliminated, including celebrations of Black History Month and Gay Pride Month.

About $5.7 million would be saved by breaking the contract with Nova Southeastern. The county and the university agreed in 1999 to build the Alva Sherman Library and signed a 40-year contract. The county has been paying for about 40 percent of the operations since.

In budget cuts made last year, the county shut most regional parks on Tuesdays. That would be expanded to Wednesdays. And, parks would be closed on Thanksgiving, New Year's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day in addition to the current holiday closures of Veterans Day, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Grounds-keeping would be slashed, nature centers would be open only five days a week and the pool at Markham Park would be closed. Free recreational programs such as Halloween parties would be dropped.

Also, the animal shelter in Pompano Beach would be closed to the public. Cities could still drop off stray dogs, but residents would have to go to the other shelter in Fort Lauderdale for adoptions.

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4511.