The Prince George's County Education and Workforce Development Committee heard a presentation on the Prince George's County Memorial Library System's proposed fiscal 2026 operating budget of $37,900,000 and a $3,300,000 capital allocation for branch renovations (date not specified).

The proposal would raise the library's operating budget by $409,500 over the prior year. "The Prince George's County Memorial Library system FY26 proposed operating budget is $37,900,000," said Adena Bayard, director of the Education and Workforce Development Committee, as she opened the presentation. Committee members and library officials said the increase largely reflects mandated salary increases and fringe benefits, while other operating expenses are being reduced to offset compensation costs.

Why it matters: library leaders said compensation pressures, a long-standing freeze on some positions, and uncertainty about several federal grants could reduce services and outreach. The library is projecting continued staffing constraints while branch footprints expand, and elected members pressed for a clearer plan to address deferred maintenance and geographic equity across the county.

Library officials said authorized staffing has held steady since at least fiscal 2020, while the system maintains roughly 28 positions on hold that are projected to remain unfilled in FY 2026. Durge Salahidris, identified in the meeting as director of finance for the library system, said the county has a budget gap and the system is planning to hold roughly 10% of positions; "the total cost including fringe benefit is approximately $1,500,000," Salahidris said, and the system does not expect to implement merit or cost-of-living adjustments in FY 2026 if the gap persists.

Officials also described immediate federal funding risks. Dr. Mark Winston and Megan Sutherland, identified as the library's presenters, said the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has been affected by an executive order and staff placements that put two active grants—one for strategic planning and one for staff development—on pause for FY 2025. Winston said the statewide statistics grant that supports data visualization and training is likewise paused. The library's "career connector" mobile workforce development vehicle, funded through the U.S. Department of Labor, is currently progressing, but officials said they are monitoring possible changes.

The presentation listed five primary concerns: increasing branch footprints without matching staffing supports; rising compensation and benefits that are not matched by revenue increases; delays in student data needed to issue library cards; rising IT and cybersecurity costs; and limited capital funding for future branch construction and renovations. Library staff also noted a capital program change: the Langley Park branch has shifted from new construction to a lease-and-renovate approach using existing retail space.

Library leaders described operational trade-offs. The materials/collection budget reportedly fell by roughly $1,000,000 (about 33%) from FY 2021 to the FY 2026 proposed level, a reduction library staff said they are monitoring because it may affect circulation and wait times for items. The library also flagged an expected increase in employer retirement contributions: projected retirement costs for 2026 were cited at $678,000 while the proposed budget includes $500,000 for that line.

Officials reviewed usage patterns and outreach. Library presenters said about two-thirds of county residents are library card holders, and that more than 10% of library programs are offered in partnership with community groups such as Employ Prince George's, AARP and NASA. Staff noted Sunday service accounts for a smaller share of branch traffic than expected: branches open four hours on Sunday should account for roughly 14% of weekly visits, but observed Sunday percentages range about 7%–11% at many locations.

Several council members raised equity and facility concerns. Councilmember Burrows pressed the library leadership about conditions at Oxon Hill and other southern-county branches, recounting an instance where senior citizens had to be moved because air conditioning failed. Library staff said a newly hired executive director of support services, Simon George (not present), is developing a comprehensive plan to catalogue deferred maintenance and prioritize repairs. Staff said recent restroom renovations and HVAC work have been completed at several branches and that some HVAC replacement units are arriving and expected to reduce closure days this summer.

On outreach and space use, library staff said systemwide outreach is coordinated through an outreach and partnership specialist but that person operates without a dedicated activity budget and that branches carry much of the outreach workload. Committee members and library staff discussed piloting alternative uses of library space (for example, satellite services or small-business incubators) and asked for follow-up meetings to develop pilots targeted to north, central and south county needs.

No formal votes were taken on the budget during the committee briefing. The presentation materials and the full report were noted to be available in the committee's virtual binder (presentation begin page 3, full report page 27).