Financially speaking, the James Prendergast Library is in as good of a position it has been in a while.

The James Prendergast Library Board of Trustees last week unanimously approved its 2022 budget.

Michael Corey, board treasurer, said the spending plan allows the library to expand its programs and what the facility can offer the community. He said the budget will only use 4%, $250,000, of the library’s endowment fund next year. He added that in recent years library officials had been using 6% of its endowment fund — except this year when no endowment funding was appropriated on operations.

Corey said with the $350,000 tax levy residents in the Jamestown Public Schools District approved in 2020, and the return of state aid because of the local support, the library should have no issues with finances next year.

“This was done in a conservative manner,” he said about the spending plan. “Coming into next year, we shouldn’t have a problem staying within budget.”

Micki McCray, board secretary, said this was one of the easier spending plans the board has approved during her nine-year tenure on the board. She said, in years past, the board would deliberate for hours during a couple of meetings before passing a balanced budget.

The 2022 spending plan for the library totals $1,063,773.

In other business, Lynn Warner, board member, said the board’s Nominating Committee has met three times about recruiting new members. She said library officials have advertised the need for new members next year on its website and on social media. She added that they have received three applications from prospective members.

“Please reach out to friends, family and anyone you think would be a good fit for the board,” she said. “We’re still hoping to get more applications in.”

Next year, four trustees will need to be replaced because of the library’s by-laws, which state that no one can serve more than three consecutive three-year terms, for a total of nine straight years. Also – because of the new residential by-law the board implemented last year that states two-thirds of the library’s board members have to be residents of Jamestown – three out of the four new members will have to reside in the city.

Warner said she will provide another update to the board during its next meeting on Thursday, Nov. 18.