There is about $33 million left in the “General Fund.” Out of the 60 programs funded there, 30 or more are ones mandated by the state and feds over which there is no discretion. Most of these have no employees attached to them - things like paying for Court-appointed attorneys, General Assistance, indigent burial.
The public libraries are in the remaining 30 with the sheriff, District Attorney, Public Defender, Auditor, Tax Collector, Assessor, Clerk -etc. There just wasn't enough money to cover basic functions of public safety and government. Libraries are a non-mandated, non-essential program. If the public wants them in these lean times, they need to fund them with a special property assessment. I am not saying they aren't of great value, they are just secondary in basic government function to peace and safety.