The Port Hope Public Library is seeking a 7.4% increase in the 2026 municipal budget with an operational need of more than $1.1 million, but its proposal includes reduced service at its branch at the community hub in Canton.
Library CEO Margaret Scott, joined by board chair Bob Wallace at council’s committee-of-the-whole meeting Tuesday night, said the Canton branch is currently open 12 hours a week and normally for 50 weeks a year with a two-week closure during the Christmas holidays.
This year they were closed for six unplanned weeks during renovations and construction of the lower level to prepare for the arrival of daycare at the Port Hope Community Hub location. There was an additional one-week closure in August for paving of the driveway and parking lot.
Scott said the library’s draft budget for 2026 looks at closing the Canton branch in January, February, November and December.
“These are typically the months when we experience issues with respect to the weather, snowplowing and at times staffing capacity,” she said, noting the branch would re-open for the school March Break.
There would be engagement with the community about the type of service needed and how it can be delivered, Scott noted, adding that during the closed months, the library space would be used for additional workspace and for staff training.
Mayor Olena Hankivsky asked what the cost would be to keep the Canton branch open all 12 months until there is an opportunity for full community engagement regarding library services throughout the municipality.
Scott said the hub is a big topic for discussion.
“This was an idea that came from staff, but also as part of the review that has just wound up, but that the board will be looking at and the data that was collected,” Scott said. “Those are the months when it’s very quiet at the hub where we don’t see a lot of activity even though we provide programming…and if we compressed a year into eight months instead of 12 then we could do what we do well, but also try some new things with the community.”
Hankivsky reiterated her question about the cost of keeping the branch open for all 12 months instead of eight.
“Well looking at the budget document the part-time salaries in 2025 are $41,000 and what’s proposed with eight months is $27,700,” Scott said.
Earlier in the presentation, Wallace said close to 6,000 Port Hope residents use their library card on an annual basis, which is an increase of 3% in total usage of library services.
He said on average 30 new library cards are issued monthly and as of the end of July this year, visitors to the Mary J. Benson branch in downtown Port Hope is 5.5% higher than the previous year.
The number of programs has increased by 9.5% and participation has grown by 8.9%. There are 138 programs and the library and there have been 3,500 participants year-to-date, Wallace said.
Scott said there will be a review in 2026 to assess the library’s collection, hours of operation, staffing needs, public seating and study capacity, space requirements for public service as well as storage requirements at the Mary J. Benson Branch.
While the library does have funding sources through service fees, reserves, government grants, donations and more, Scott said the ask in the municipal budget amounts to $1,143,760.
She said there would be decreased financial requirements from Canton branch staff wages and benefits, software licenses and contracted services, but there are increased requirements for the library including IT technical support, electronic resources and Mary J. Benson telephone costs.
Councillor Adam Pearson asked how many of the 6,000 users had Port Hope addresses. Scott said it’s “primarily” residents but others outside of the municipality can pay for a membership and there is also reciprocal borrowing with the Cobourg Public Library so those users factor into the number as well.
Pearson said he would like the number of how many Port Hope taxpayers are using the service, and Scott said she could follow up, and he also asked how many users there are of the library per day. Scott said she could provide a monthly total and it varies from month-to-month but the monthly average is about 5,200.
As for wages in the budget, Pearson asked how many staff there are and noticed the wage increase is 3% for part-time and 9.8% full-time.
Scott said there are four full-time staff and 11 part-time. The 3% represents the negotiated increase in the collective agreement with the unionized part-time staff.
“With respect to the full-time staff, this year there was an adjustment made to a full-time position which resulted in a fairly significant increase on the Municipality of Port Hope compensation grid to place that job in an appropriate band,” Scott said. “Additionally, next year there will be some movement through the grid as well for another full-time staff member.”
Councillor Todd Attridge was concerned about numbers in the 2025 budget year to date the library submitted in a report which said donations were set at $28,000 but only $63 has been received year-to-date and he wondered how the library would make up that shortfall.
Scott said “that total is not accurate. We have about $14,000 to date that has come in through donations.” She added they expect to reach the projection and noted the Friends of the Library group continues to fundraise as well.
Attridge wondered if there has been consideration for the Mary J. Benson branch to operate seven days a week year-round.
Scott said they are a seven-day-a-week operation, but operate on that schedule similar to the school year from September until June.
“That’s when the greatest demand for Sunday hours is,” she said.
They also have reduced Saturday hours for June, July and August but hours will return to normal this Saturday “so in essence we are a seven-day-a-week operation at the Mary J. Benson Branch,” Scott said.
“Right, just not year-round,” Attridge noted.
Deputy Mayor Vicki Mink asked Attridge if he’s hearing of a need for more weekend hours. Attridge said he has but acknowledged that’s a small sample size compared to a mass survey.
“It will be over to the board to determine how they figure out that need,” he said.
Wallace said the board would appreciate any feedback that councillors receive from the community.
Pearson asked Scott if there was a need for $60,000 to be budgeted for print materials. She said printed books are more in demand at the Port Hope library than electronic resources. Not only that, costs continue to increase and the budget isn’t only to purchase new releases, but also replace items already in the collection as needed.
The council members in attendance (Les Andrews and Darrell Toms were absent) for the virtual meeting voted to receive the presentation for information.
While there will be further budget discussions as usual, the final budget approval rests with Mayor Hankivsky under Strong Mayor Powers.
Author: Pete Fisher
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